The

forms of the participle

aspect form participle past participle perfect
perfect participle present participle

Active Passive
Present participle writing being written
Perfect participle having written having been written
Past participle written written
Present participle
The present participle is formed by adding -ing to the base form of
the verb. Note the changes in spelling:

read » reading
study » studying
grow » growing
relax » relaxing
answer » answering
write » writing; argue » arguing (a final -e is omitted)
agree » agreeing (a final -ee does not change)
lie » lying (a final -ie changes to -y-)
put » putting; regret » regretting; readmit » readmitting (we
double the final consonant if the verb ends in consonant-vowel-
consonant, with the exception of w, x and y, and only has one
syllable or has the stress on the last syllable)

The present participle does not in itself indicate the time of the
action that it refers to. However, it does show that this time is the
same as the time of the preceding verb or the verb in the main
clause:

I watched the storm approaching. (approaching refers to the same

time as watched: I watched as the storm was approaching.)
Having nowhere to sit, she stood in the back of the lecture hall.
(having refers to the same time as stood: As she had nowhere to
sit, she stood in the back of the lecture hall.)
Are you waiting for the bus? (waiting refers to the same time as
are: present)
We will be arriving in Prague soon. (arriving refers to the same
time as will be: future)
 Perfect participle
The perfect participle indicates that the time of the action that it
refers to is before that of the verb in the main clause:

Having taken the wrong turn, he ended up in a dangerous

neighbourhood. (having taken refers to a time before ended up:
After he had taken the wrong turn, he ended up in a dangerous
neighbourhood.)

Perfect Participle

Form - Having + Past Participle e.g. Having done, Having worked, Having mailed

Participle is used when there is one Subject for all the parts of the sentence and
two or more than two actions are performed or two or more than two verbs are
used When one action is fully completed in the near past and then another action
is started or stated to be completed, Perfect Participle is used. 

Having improved his English pronunciation, he has increased the probability of his
promotion.
Having drafted the mail he showed it to his boss.
Having played a gamble he lost everything
Having rested, he continued hard work.
Past participle
The past participle is also called the third form of the verb. With
regular verbs, the past participle is formed by adding -ed to the base
form. Note the changes in spelling:

look » looked
stay » stayed
arrive » arrived (we only add -d if the verb ends in -e)
try » tried (a final -y changes to -i- after a consonant)
stop » stopped (we double the final consonant if the verb ends in
consonant-vowel-consonant)

A number of verbs have irregular past participle forms. A few

examples are:

bite » bitten
fly » flown
hit » hit
leave » left
swim » swum

See the Appendix for a list of the most common irregular verbs in
English.

The past participle can refer to the same time as the verb in the
main clause or to a time before that:

Sue has all the qualifications required for the job. (required refers
to the same time as has: Sue has all the qualifications that are
 required for the job.)

Damaged badly by the flood, the school had to be rebuilt. (damaged

refers to a time before had to: As the school had been badly
damaged by the flood, it had to be rebuilt.)

If we want to emphasise an earlier time, we use the passive perfect

participle:

Having been nominated three times for an Oscar, he is one of

today's most acclaimed film directors. (He has been nominated
three times for an Oscar, and he is one of today's most acclaimed
film directors.)

The past participle can have an active or a passive meaning. When

used with a passive meaning, it is sometimes called the passive
participle:

The fallen leaves covered the garden path. (the leaves that had
fallen, active meaning)
This is the first time I've been here. (present perfect tense in active
voice, active meaning)

There was a handwritten note on the table. (a note that had been
written by hand, passive meaning)
When was the last time the lawn was mowed? (past simple tense in
passive voice, passive meaning)

◂ The participle ▴ The "subject" of the

The participle participle ▸
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Index Englishkitab

The Participle
A Participle is also one of the three types of Non-Finite Verbs.
Participle is also a Verbal. (Words that are formed from verbs but don't
act as verbs are called Verbal).

Participle bhee Non-Finite verb ke teen prakaaro meiN se ek hai.

Participle bhee ek Verbal hai.(Shabd jo verb se banaa ho parantu verb
kee tarah kaarya nahee kare vah Verbal kahalaataa hai).

Uses of Participle
(a) Present Participle is used to form Present, Past and Future
Continuous Tenses.

(a) Present, Past aur Future Continuous Tense banaane ke liye

Present Participle kaa prayog hotaa hai.

Examples
Vah paDh rahee hai. She is reading.
Vah kaam kar rahaa thaa. He was working.
Ve mujhe patra likh rahe honge. They will be writing a letter to me.
Ve so rahe thay. They were sleeping.

(b) Past Participle is used to form Present, Past and Future Perfect
Tenses.

(b) Present, Past aur Future Perfect Tense banaane ke liye Past
Participle kaa prayog hotaa hai.

Examples

Usane office chhoD diyaa hai. She has left the office.
Vah meraa naam bhool gayaa He had forgotten my name.
thaa.
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Mr Bansal ne meri transfer kee Mr Bansal had recommended my
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sifaarish kee thee. transfer.
Tum ab tak apanaa project pooraa You will have completed your
kar chuke honge. project by now.
All Rights are reserved.
and perfect participle
(c) Present Participle and Past Participle are used as Adjective.

(c) Present Participle aur Past Participle kaa prayog Adjective kee
tarah kiyaa jaataa hai.

Examples

Vaakya Sentence Participle Qualifying

Noun
Yah ek majedaar It is an interesting interesting book
pustak hai. book.
Vah ek ubaau picture That was a boring boring movie
thee. movie.
Vah dukaandaar That shopkeeper sells stolen goods
churaayaa huaa stolen goods.
saamaan bechataa
hai.
Usane mujhe phooTe He gave me water in a cracked glass
huay glass meiN cracked glass.
paanee diyaa.

(d) Present Participle can combine two main sentences. When Subject
of both the main sentences are same and the Subject is performing
more than one actions at the same time, then Present Participle is
used for an action.

(d) Present Participle do mukhya vaakyoN ko joD sakate haiN. Jab

dono vaakyoN kaa Subject vahee ho aur Subject (Kartaa) ek se
jyaada kaarya usee samay meiN (simultaneously)kar rahaa ho tab ek
kaarya ke liye Present Participle kaa prayog kiyaa jaataa hai

Examples

Sentence Sentence Sentence with Participle Vaakya

Participle
She came to She was She came to open
Vah nritya karate
open the dancing. the door dancing.
huay darwaajaa
door. kholane aayee.
Papa gave He was Papa gave me his Papa ne
me his smiling. Laptop smiling. muskaraate huay
Laptop. mujhe apanaa
Laptop diyaa.
Everybody Everybody Everybody came Big Cinema Hall se
came out of was smiling. out of the Big PK picture dekhane
the Big Cinema Hall smiling ke baad har ek
Cinema Hall after watching PK muskaraate huay
after movie. baahar aayaa.
watching PK
movie.
She opened She Opening the door Darwaajaa kholate
the door. displayed she displayed her huay usane apanaa
her diamond diamond necklace. heere kaa haar
necklace. dikhlaayaa.

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(e) Present Participle can replace a Subordinate clause. Normally

subordinate clause starts with As/Since/Because + Subject + Verb.
Such subordinate clauses can be replaced by adding 'Ing' with the
Verb - Present Participle.

(e) Present Participle Subordinate clause ke badale meiN prayukt ho

sakate haiN. Aamtaur par Subordinate clause As/Since/Because +
Subject + Verb se shuru hotee hai. Aisee Subordinate clause ke
sthaan par Verb meiN 'Ing' joDakar - Present Participle proyog kiyaa
jaa sakataa hai.

Examples

Sentence Verb + 'Ing' Sentence with Participle Vaakya

Participle
Because/As/Since Be + Ing Being a girl, she is
LaDakee hone
she is a girl, she is allowed to go
ke naate, use
allowed to go early. early. jaldee jaane kee
anumati dee
gayee hai.
Because/As/Since Understand Understanding Samajhate huay
he understood that + Ing that he cannot ki vah test pass
he cannot pass the pass the test, he nahee kar
test, he did not did not appear for sakataa hai, vah
appear for it. it. isake liye haajir
nahee huaa.
As/Since/Because Know + Ing Knowing that Jaanate huay ki
she knows that Inder is a man of
Inder ek
Inder is a man of siddhaant kaa
principle, she
principle, she thought to play a
pakkaa aadamee
thought to play a trick against him.
hai, usane usake
trick against him. viruddh ek chaal
chalane kee
sochee.
As/Since/Because Walk + Ing Walking very fast, Tej chalate huay
he walked very he can reach her vah usake ghar
fast, he can reach home within 15 15 minute ke
her home within 15 minutes. andar pahunch
minutes. sakataa hai.

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(f) Participles can modify Subject as well as Object of the sentence.

Participles can be used as complement of Object also.

(f) Participle vaakya ke Subject aur Object kee bhee vishestaa bataate
haiN. Participle ke prayog Object ke complement ke roop meiN bhee
kiyaa jaataa hai.

Examples

Sentence Sentence
Vah usake kaam se santuShT He appears satisfied with his
lagataa hai. work.
Vah prabhaavit hai. He is impressed.
Usane Rajat ko ek ghanTe She made Rajat run for an hour.
dauDwaayaa.
Guptaji ne sabko mantramugdh Guptaji kept everyone
rakhaa. mesmerised.
Usane apanee maa ko kaam She saw her mother working.
karate huay dekhaa.
Sarla ne apane pati ko ek laDakee Sarla found her husband flirting
ke saath ishkabaajee karate huay with a girl.
paaya.

(g) Past Participle can also combine two main sentences which
represents a completed action or time.

(g) Past Participle bhee do mukhya vaakyoN ko joD sakate haiN jo

purN huay kaarya yaa samay ko darshaate haiN.

Examples

Sentence Sentence Sentence with Participle Vaakya

Participle
He was He became Deceived by his Usake dost ke
deceived by bankrupt. friend, he became dwaaraa dhokhaa
his friend. bankrupt. dene ke baad vah
divaaliyaa ho
gayaa.
Kurmee was Kurmee Robbed by a Ek GunDe dwaaraa
robbed by a lodged an hooligan, Kurmee looTane ke baad,
hooligan. FIR in the lodged an FIR in the Kurmee ne
nearest nearest police najdeekee police
police station. station meiN FIR
station. darj kee.
The Principal Principal Pressurised by VidhyaartheoN ke
was allowed the strong protest of kaDe virodh se
pressurised students to students, Principal prabhaavit hokar,
by strong celebrate allowed students to Principal ne
protest of Valentine celeberate vidhyaartheoN ko
students. Day in Valentine Day in College meiN
College. college. Prem-ijahaar Divas
manaane kee ijaajat
dee.
We saw Trees were We saw trees in Hamane Uttar
trees in Uttar laden with Uttar Pradesh laden Pradesh meiN aam
Pradesh. mangoes. with mangoes. se lade peDD
 dekhe.

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Use of Participle as Preposition

There are certain Participles which are used as Preposition and their
use does not fall under Dangling/Misrelated Participles.

Kuch Participles Preposition kee bhaanti prayukt hote haiN aur unkaa
prayog Dangling/Misrelated Participle ke antargat nahee aataa hai.

Examples

Considering the expected delay, I Apekshit deree ko dhyaan meiN

extended my rent agreement.
Judging the attitude of her, I
decided to write my Will.
Allowing for the exception, you
have opened a pandara box.
Referring to your point, the judge Tumhaare tark kaa havaalaa
may reconsider the judgement.
Speaking frankly, you do not
deserve this post.
rakhate huay, maine apane rent
agreement ko aage badhaa liyaa.
Usake ravaiyye ko dekhate huay,
maine apanee vasiyat ko likhane
kaa nirNay liyaa.
Apavaad ko manjooree dekar,
tumane ek piTaaraa khol diyaa
hai.
dekar, judge nirNay par punah
vichaar kar sakataa hai.
SpaShT bol rahaa hoon, tum is
pad ke yogya nahee ho.

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Index Englishkitab

The Participle
A Participle is also one of the three types of Non-Finite Verbs.
Participle is also a Verbal. (Words that are formed from verbs but don't
act as verbs are called Verbal).

Participle bhee Non-Finite verb ke teen prakaaro meiN se ek hai.

Participle bhee ek Verbal hai.(Shabd jo verb se banaa ho parantu verb
kee tarah kaarya nahee kare vah Verbal kahalaataa hai).

Dangling or Unattached or Unrelated or

Misrelated Participle
When Participle is not correctly attached / related with Subject, then
this error is known as Dangling or Unattached or Unrelated or
Misrelated Participle. To avoid such error, it is necessary to know
where Participle is to be used and where it should not be used.
Jab Participle Subject ke saath sahee prakaar se juDaa / sambandhit
nahee hotaa tab us bhool ko Dangling yaa Unattached yaa Unrelated
yaa Misrleated Participle se jaanaa jaataa hai. Aisee bhool se
bachane ke liye yah jaananaa jarooree hai kee kab aur kahaaN
Participle ka prayog kiyaa jaanaa hai.

Participles are Adjective and describe about the Noun/Pronoun.

Hence there must be a relation between Participle and Noun/Pronoun.
If the relation is not there, it is Misrelated Participle.

Many sentences have two parts. When Subject of both the parts is
same, then Participle can act as Subject of First part. This use of
Participle is correct. When Subject of both parts are different and
Participle is used in first part without Subject, then it comes into the
category of Misrelated Participle.

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(1)Participles VisheshaN hai aur Sangyaa/Sarvanaam kaa varNan
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karate haiN. Isliye Participle aur Sangyaa/Sarvanaam ke madhya ek
sambandh honaa avashyak hai. Agar vahaaN sambandh nahee hai to
yah Misrelated Participle hai.
All Rights are reserved.
Kai vaakyoN ke do bhaag hote haiN. Jab dono bhaagoN kaa Subject
ek hai, tab pahale bhaag meiN Participle Subject kaa kaam kar
sakataa hai. Participle kaa yah prayog sahee hai. Jab dono bhaag ke
Subject alag hai aur pahale bhaag meiN binaa Subject ke Participle
kaa prayog kiyaa jaataa hai to yah Misrelated Participle kee ShreNee
meiN aataa hai.

Examples

Sentence Noun/Pronoun Correct with Participle

- Participle Noun/Pronoun Vaakya
Being a stormy Noun/Pronoun It being a stormy Toofaanee din
day, I could not missing with day, I could not hone ke kaaraN
view clearly. Participle view clearly. meiN spaShT
"Being" nahee dekh
 sakaa.
Hearing Noun/Pronoun Hearing the sound Kal raat ko
yesterday night, missing with yesterday night, I awaaj sunakar
I got surprised. Participle got surprised. maiN chakit ho
"Hearing " gayaa.
Waiting for a Noun/Pronoun When I was waiting Jab maiN bus
bus, a dog bit missing with for a bus, a dog bit kaa intejaa kar
me. Participle me. rahaa thaa, ek
"Waiting " kutte ne mujhe
kaaT liyaa.
Sleeping in my Subject While I was Jis dauraan
room, a nurse missing with sleeping in my maiN apane
came to check Ist part room, a nurse kamare meiN so
temperature. came to check rahaa thaa, ek
temperature. nurse taapmaan
dekhane ke liye
andar aayee.
Standing near Subject While she was Jis dauraan vah
the gate, a missing with standing near the get ke paas
scooter hit her. Ist part gate, a scooter hit khaDaa thaa, ek
her. scooter ne use
Takkar maar
dee.
Digging in his Subject of Digging in his Apane
courtyard, Amit both part is courtyard, Amit got baramade meiN
got many gold same, use of many gold coins. khodate huay
coins. Participle is Amit ko kai
correct. sone ke sikke
mile.
Digging in his Subject of While Amit was Jis dauraan
courtyard, a both part is digging in his Amit apane
scorpion stung different, use courtyard, a baramade meiN
him. of Participle is scorpion stung him. khod rahaa
incorrect. thaa, tab ek
bichchhoo ne
use Dank
maaraa.
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Difference between Gerund and Participle

Both Gerund and Participle are Non-Finite Verbs and are Verbal. A
verbal is a word which is formed from verb but does not act as verb in
sentence.
A gerund is a kind of noun that we make from a verb by adding 'Ing'
like: Work + Ing = Working, Run + Ing = Running, Save + Ing =
Saving, Cry + Ing = Crying.
Since a gerund is a noun, a gerund can do anything that a noun can
do within a sentence like subject of a sentence, the direct object of a
sentence, etc.

Gerund aur Participle dono Non-Finite verb hai aur Verbal hai. Verbal
vah shabd hai jo Verb se banataa hai parantu vaakya meiN verb kee
tarah kaarya nahee karataa hai.
Gerund ek prakaar kee sangyaa hai jise ham verb ke saath 'Ing'
joDakar banaate haiN jaise : Work + Ing = Working, Run + Ing =
Running, Save + Ing = Saving, Cry + Ing = Crying
Choonki Gerund ek noun hai, Gerund vah sab kuchh kar sakataa hai
jo ek vaakya meiN noun kar sakataa hai jaise vaakya kaa Subject,
vaakya kaa direct object, etc.

A participle is very different from a gerund. While a gerund acts as a

noun, a participle acts as an adjective. The function of an adjective is
to describe a noun or a pronoun. Therefore, a Participle always
describes a noun or a pronoun in the same sentence.
There are two kinds of Participles - Present Participles and Past
Participles. Present Participle is also formed by adding 'Ing' with a
verb like: Work + Ing = Working, Run + Ing = Running, Save + Ing =
Saving, Cry + Ing = Crying.
Present Participles are often confused with Gerunds because their
formation is same i.e. verb + Ing. However, the use of it makes
difference. A Gerund is used as Noun whereas a Participle is used
to describe about Noun/Pronoun.
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Participle Gerund se bahut alag hai. Jabki Gerund ek Sangya kaa

kaarya karataa hai, Participle ek VisheshaN kaa kaarya karataa hai.
Adjective - VisheshaN kaa kaarya noun yaa pronoun kaa varNan
karanaa hai. Isliye Participle hameshaa noun yaa pronoun kee usee
vaakya meiN visheshataa bataataa hai
Participle do prakaar ke hote haiN - Present Participle aur Past
Participle. Present Participle ko bhee Verb ke saath 'Ing' joDakar
banaate haiN jaise: Work + Ing = Working, Run + Ing = Running, Save
+ Ing = Saving, Cry + Ing = Crying.
Present Participle aksar Gerund se bhramit hote haiN kyonki unakee
banaavaT bhee vaisee hee hai i.e. Verb + Ing. Lekin iskaa prayog
antar paidaa karataa hai. Gerund Sangyaa kee tarah prayukt hotaa
hai jabki Participle Sangya/Sarvanaam kee visheshataa bataane
ke liye prayukt hotaa hai.

Examples

I enjoy working with working Gerund MaiN apane saathioN ke

my colleagues. acting as saath kaam karanaa
noun pasand karataa hooN.
We have good working Participle Hamaare paas apanee
working force in our describing factory meiN achchhee
factory. noun - force kaarya shakti hai.
Running is a good running Gerund DauDanaa ek achchhaa
exercise acting as vyaayaam hai.
noun
The award was running Participle Sabase achchhe dauDane
given to the best describing waale kutte ko inaam
running dog. noun - dog diyaa gayaa thaa.
Saving gives you saving Gerund Bachat aapake bure dino
strength during acting as meiN shakti detee hai.
your rainy days. noun
Bank has declared saving Participle Bank ne nayee bachat
new saving describing yojnaao kee ghoShaNaa
schemes. noun - kee hai.
schemes
Crying only may crying Gerund Kewal chillaanaa shaayad
not get you justice. acting as aapako nyaay naa dilaa
noun paaye.
The justice was crying Participle Rotee hui laDakee ko
granted to the describing nyaay diyaa gayaa.
crying girl. noun - girl

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More Examples

Sentence Vaakya
Having completed her graduation, Apanee graduation pooree kar
she wants to become journalist. chukane ke baad vah Journalist
bananaa chaahatee hai.
Having finished his homework, Apanaa homework pooraa karake
Avyan went to play. Avyan khelane gayaa.
Having worked hard he got tired. KaDee mahnat karake vah thak
gayaa.
Having killed a shark the Shark ko maar kar machhuAaraa
fisherman dragged it to shore. use kinaare tak kheench laayaa.
This is the book written by him. Yah pustak hai usake dwaraa
likhee hui.
Learn the important questions Usake dwaaraa mark kiye gaye
marked by him. mahatvapurN prashano ko yaad
karo.
This is the accidented bike. Yah hai durghaTanaagrast bike.
I have a broken umbrella. Mere paas ek TooTaa hui
chhataree hai.
Now-a-days girls want a written Aajkal laDakiyaan laDakoN se
statement from boys to indemnify apane adhikaaroN ko surakshit
their rights. karane ke liye ek likhit vaktavya
chaahati haiN.

Pages of Current Lesson

1st 2nd 3rd
The Participle
Причастие

Formation and use of English participles,

main constructions with participles and
various questions related to participles are
described in this material.

Образование и употребление английских

причастий, основные конструкции с
причастиями и различные вопросы,
связанные с причастиями, описываются в
этом материале.
Main points
Основные положения

English verbs have two participles: the

present participle (typing, writing) and the
past participle (typed, written).

Английские глаголы имеют два причастия:

причастие настоящего времени (typing,
writing) и причастие прошедшего времени
(typed, written).

Participles have some qualities of verbs and

are used in the formation of the continuous,
perfect and perfect continuous tenses (he is
typing; he has written a letter).

Причастия имеют некоторые свойства

глаголов и используются в образовании
продолженных, перфектных и перфектных
продолженных времён (он печатает; он
написал письмо).

Participles have some qualities of adjectives

and are used as attributes in a sentence (a
smiling girl; surprised faces).

Причастия имеют некоторые свойства

прилагательных и употребляются как
определения в предложении
(улыбающаяся девочка; удивлённые
лица).

Participles are also used in the function of

adverbial modifiers (he opened the door,
smiling; surprised, he didn't know what to
say).

Причастия также употребляются в

функции обстоятельств (он открыл дверь,
улыбаясь; удивлённый, он не знал, что
сказать).

A participle construction, that is, a participle

together with the words closely connected
with it, can function as an attribute (the girl
sitting at the table) or as an adverbial
modifier (standing by the window, she
watched the birds). Participle constructions
(participial constructions) are usually called
"participial phrases" or "participial clauses"
in English grammar materials.

Причастный оборот, то есть причастие

вместе со словами, тесно связанными с
ним, может быть в функции определения
(девочка, сидящая за столом) или в
функции обстоятельства (стоя у окна, она
наблюдала за птицами). Причастные
обороты обычно называются "participial
phrases" или "participial clauses" в
английских материалах по грамматике.

English participles are translated into

Russian with the help of verbs, adjectives,
participles, adverbial participles. Russian
adverbial participle has no corresponding
form in English.

Английские причастия переводятся на

русский язык с помощью глаголов,
прилагательных, причастий,
деепричастий. Русское деепричастие не
имеет соответствующей ему формы в
английском языке.
Formation of participles
Образование причастий

Present participle

Причастие настоящего времени

The present participle is formed by adding

"ing" to the base form of the verb: flying,
playing, running, sleeping, working.

Причастие настоящего времени

образуется прибавлением "ing" к базовой
форме глагола: flying, playing, running,
sleeping, working.

The present participle expresses active

meaning: doing, flying, playing, reading,
running, sleeping, taking, typing, working,
writing.

Причастие настоящего времени выражает

активное значение: делающий, летящий,
играющий, читающий, бегущий, спящий,
берущий, печатающий, работающий,
пишущий.

Past participle

Причастие прошедшего времени

Regular verbs form the past participle by
adding "ed" to the base form of the verb:
moved, played, stopped, typed.

Правильные глаголы образуют причастие

прошедшего времени прибавлением "ed" к
базовой форме глагола: moved, played,
stopped, typed.

Irregular verbs form the past participle

mostly by changing the root of the word:
broken, flown, read, sold, taken, written.

Неправильные глаголы образуют

причастие прошедшего времени в
основном изменением корня слова:
broken, flown, read, sold, taken, written.

The past participle expresses passive

meaning: done, moved, played, read, sold,
stopped, taken, typed, written.

Причастие прошедшего времени выражает

страдательное значение: сделанный,
сдвинутый, сыгранный, прочитанный,
проданный, остановленный, взятый,
напечатанный, написанный.

Note: The rules of adding "ing" and "ed" to

verbs are described in Adding the Endings
ed, ing to Verbs in the section Writing.
Irregular verbs are listed in Irregular Verbs
in the section Writing.

Примечание: Правила прибавления "ing"

и "ed" к глаголам описаны в статье Adding
the Endings ed, ing to Verbs в разделе
Writing. Неправильные глаголы даны в
списке Irregular Verbs в разделе Writing.
Formation of tenses
Образование времен

The main function of participles is their use

in the formation of certain tenses. Only the
simple forms of participles (for example,
writing, written) are used in the formation of
tenses. The participle is part of the tense
form; the participle together with the
auxiliary verb is translated into Russian as a
tense (not as a participle).

Главная функция причастий – их

использование в образовании
определённых времён. Только простые
формы причастий (например, writing,
written) используются в образовании
времён. Причастие является частью
формы времени; причастие вместе с
вспомогательным глаголом переводится
на русский язык как время (а не как
причастие).

Present participle

Причастие настоящего времени

The present participle (of the main verb) is

used in the formation of the continuous and
perfect continuous tenses. Examples:

Причастие настоящего времени

(основного глагола) используется в
образовании продолженных и перфектных
продолженных времён. Примеры:

Continuous tenses: He is working now. We

were sleeping when he called. She will be
writing letters at four o'clock.

Продолженные времена: Он работает

сейчас. Мы спали, когда он позвонил. Она
будет писать письма в четыре часа.

Perfect continuous tenses: He has been

working since early morning. She had been
sleeping for two hours when you called. By
six o'clock, she will have been writing letters
for three hours.

Перфектные продолженные времена: Он

уже работает с раннего утра. Она уже
спала в течение двух часов, когда ты
позвонил. К шести часам она будет писать
письма уже в течение трёх часов.

Past participle

Причастие прошедшего времени

The past participle (of the main verb) is

used in the formation of the perfect tenses
in the active voice and of all of the tenses in
the passive voice. Examples:

Причастие прошедшего времени

(основного глагола) используется в
образовании перфектных времён в
активном залоге и всех времён в
пассивном залоге. Примеры:

Perfect tenses: We have already written

three stories. She had typed two reports by
ten o'clock yesterday. She will have typed
the next report by six o'clock.

Перфектные времена: Мы уже написали

три рассказа. Она напечатала два доклада
к десяти часам вчера. Она уже напечатает
следующий доклад к шести часам.

Tenses in the passive: Three stories have

already been written. Five reports were
typed last week. Two reports had been
typed by ten o'clock yesterday. This report
will be typed tomorrow.

Времена в пассиве: Три рассказа уже

написаны. Пять докладов были
напечатаны на прошлой неделе. Два
доклада были напечатаны к десяти часам
вчера. Этот доклад будет напечатан
завтра.
Participles after the verb BE
Причастия после глагола BE

Participles are used in the formation of

certain tenses. Participles are also used in
the function of adjectives. Usually, the
difference between these functions of
participles is clear and does not lead to
mistakes in understanding. But in some
cases, especially in those cases where a
participle stands after the verb BE, it may be
a little difficult to understand the difference.
Compare these sentences:

Причастия используются в образовании

определённых времён. Причастия также
употребляются в функции
прилагательных. Обычно, разница между
этими функциями причастий ясна и не
ведёт к ошибкам в понимании. Но в
некоторых случаях, особенно в случаях,
где причастие стоит после глагола BE,
может быть немного трудно понять эту
разницу. Сравните эти предложения:

This situation is humiliating. (the participle

"humiliating" as an adjective)

Эта ситуация унизительна. (причастие

"humiliating" как прилагательное)

Stop it! You are humiliating him. ("are

humiliating" – the present continuous tense)

Прекрати это! Ты унижаешь его. ("are

humiliating" – настоящее продолженное
время)

Two chairs are broken. (the participle

"broken" as an adjective)

Два стула сломаны. (причастие "broken"

как прилагательное)

Two chairs were broken by some customers

yesterday. ("were broken" – the simple past
in the passive)

Два стула были сломаны какими-то

посетителями вчера. ("were broken" –
простое прошедшее в пассиве)
Forms of participles
Формы причастий

Let's look at the forms of the participles

using the verb "do" as an example. Like
other verbs, the verb "do" has two
participles: the present participle "doing"
and the past participle "done".

Давайте посмотрим на формы причастий

на примере глагола "do". Как и другие
глаголы, глагол "do" имеет два причастия:
причастие настоящего времени "doing" и
причастие прошедшего времени "done".

Participles have simple and compound

forms. Simple forms consist of only one
word, i.e., the participle itself: doing, done.
The form "doing" is simple active; the form
"done" is simple passive.

Причастия имеют простые и сложные

формы. Простые формы состоят только из
одного слова, т.е. самого причастия:
doing, done. Форма "doing" (делающий) –
простая активная; форма "done"
(сделанный) – простая пассивная.

Compound (analytical) forms are formed

with the help of the auxiliary verbs "be" and
"have": having done; being done; having
been done. The form "having done" is
perfect active; the form "being done" is
passive; the form "having been done" is
perfect passive.

Сложные (аналитические) формы

образуются с помощью вспомогательных
глаголов "be" и "have": having done; being
done; having been done. Форма "having
done" (сделавший) – перфектная
активная; форма "being done" (делаемый)
– пассивная; форма "having been done"
(уже сделанный) – перфектная пассивная.

Simple forms of participles are used in the

formation of the tenses. In a sentence,
simple forms of participles are also used in
the function of attributes and adverbial
modifiers. Compound forms of participles
are used more rarely.

Простые формы причастий используются в

образовании времён. В предложении,
простые формы причастий также
употребляются в функции определений и
обстоятельств. Сложные формы причастий
употребляются реже.
Examples of simple and compound
forms
Примеры простых и сложных
форм

The sentences below contain simple and

compound forms of participles. (Simpler
sentences are indicated in parentheses.)

Предложения ниже содержат простые и

сложные формы причастий. (Более
простые предложения указаны в скобках.)

The boy is reading a book.

Мальчик читает книгу.

The reading boy didn't pay any attention to

the teacher's words.

Читающий мальчик не обратил никакого

внимания на слова учителя.

The boy reading a book didn't pay any

attention to the teacher's words.

Мальчик, читающий книгу, не обратил

никакого внимания на слова учителя.

He was sitting by the window, reading a

book.
Он сидел у окна, читая книгу.

Having read ten pages of the book, he

decided to have a break. (After reading ten
pages of the book, he decided to have a
break.)

Прочитав десять страниц книги, он решил

сделать перерыв. (После чтения десяти
страниц книги он решил сделать
перерыв.)

The books read by him last week included

several fairy tales.

Книги, прочитанные им на прошлой

неделе, включали в себя несколько
сказок.

The story being read by him now is called

"The Wonderful Wizard of Oz". (The story
that he is reading now is called "The
Wonderful Wizard of Oz".)

Повесть, читаемая им сейчас, называется

«Удивительный Волшебник из страны Оз».
(Повесть, которую он читает сейчас,
называется «Удивительный Волшебник из
страны Оз».)

Published in 1900, the story was adapted

into a film in 1939.
Опубликованная в 1900 году, эта повесть
была экранизирована в 1939 году.

Having been translated into several

languages, this story is well known in many
countries. (Translated into several
languages, this story is well known in many
countries.)

Будучи переведённой на несколько

языков, эта повесть хорошо известна во
многих странах. (Переведённая на
несколько языков, эта повесть хорошо
известна во многих странах.)
Translation of participles
Перевод причастий

Depending on the function in the sentence,

on the context and meaning, English
participles are translated into Russian as
participles, as adjectives, as adverbial
participles, as verbs. Compare these
examples:

В зависимости от функции в предложении,

от контекста и значения, английские
причастия переводятся на русский язык
как причастия, как прилагательные, как
деепричастия, как глаголы. Сравните эти
примеры:

I saw a running boy.

Я увидел бегущего мальчика.

He was running very fast.

Он бежал очень быстро.

He ran shouting something.

Он бежал, крича что-то. Он бежал и

кричал что-то.

Running past the bakery, the boy stopped

abruptly.

Пробегая мимо булочной, мальчик

внезапно остановился.

He stood there, looking at the shopwindow

intently.

Он стоял там, пристально глядя на

витрину. Он стоял там и пристально
смотрел на витрину.

Having found the door locked, the boy left.

Найдя дверь запертой, мальчик ушёл.

Note: Adverbial participles

Примечание: Деепричастия

In the examples above, "shouting

something; running past the bakery; looking
at the shopwindow; having found" have
been translated into Russian with the help of
adverbial participles.

В примерах выше, "shouting something;

running past the bakery; looking at the
shopwindow; having found" переведены на
русский язык с помощью деепричастий
(крича, пробегая, глядя, найдя).

There are no adverbial participles in English.

We translate English participles into Russian
with the help of suitable adverbial participles
in those cases where it is required by the
norms of the Russian language.

В английском языке нет деепричастий. Мы

переводим английские причастия на
русский язык с помощью подходящих
деепричастий в тех случаях, где это
требуется нормами русского языка.
Participles as attributes
Причастия как определения

Participles in the function of adjectives, that

is, in the function of attributes in a
sentence, are sometimes called "participial
adjectives" in English grammar materials.

Причастия в функции прилагательных, то

есть в функции определений в
предложении, иногда называются
"participial adjectives" в английских
материалах по грамматике.

Participles can modify the subject, an object,

or another noun in a sentence. Participles
may stand before or after the noun that
they modify. Participle constructions stand
after the nouns that they modify.

Причастия могут определять подлежащее,

дополнение или другое существительное в
предложении. Причастия могут стоять до
или после определяемого
существительного. Причастные обороты
стоят после определяемых
существительных.

Participle before noun

Причастие перед существительным

A single participle often stands before the

noun that it modifies: a flying bird; a
moving train; a promising actor; a growing
interest; overwhelming majority, running
water; boiling water; working people; a
broken heart; a rotten apple; spoken
language; a tired voice; a written
confirmation; boiled water; developed
countries; experienced users. Examples:

Одиночное причастие часто стоит перед

определяемым существительным: летящая
птица; движущийся поезд;
многообещающий актер; растущий
интерес; подавляющее большинство;
проточная вода; кипящая вода;
трудящиеся; разбитое сердце; гнилое
яблоко; устная речь; усталый голос;
письменное подтверждение; кипячёная
вода; развитые страны; опытные
пользователи. Примеры:

Barking dogs seldom bite.

Лающие собаки редко кусают.

I'm always glad to see her smiling face.

Я всегда рад видеть её улыбающееся

лицо.
She spoke in a trembling voice.

Она говорила дрожащим голосом.

He stood before the locked door.

Он стоял перед запертой дверью.

He is a retired colonel.

Он полковник в отставке.

Participle after noun

Причастие после существительного

Not all participles can stand before their

nouns. Participles that are closer to verbs
than to adjectives are often placed after the
nouns that they modify: the problems
remaining; the people attending; the people
involved; the questions discussed; the
names mentioned; the documents required;
those invited; those concerned.

Не все причастия могут стоять перед

своими существительными. Причастия,
которые ближе к глаголам, чем к
прилагательным, часто ставятся после
определяемых существительных:
остающиеся проблемы; присутствующие;
люди, причастные к этому;
обсуждавшиеся вопросы; упомянутые
имена; требуемые документы;
приглашённые; те, кого это касается.

In such cases, you can use a participle

construction instead of a single participle. A
participle construction expresses the same
meaning as a relative subordinate clause
(attributive clause). (Subordinate clauses
are described in Word Order in Complex
Sentences in the section Grammar.)

В таких случаях можно употребить

причастный оборот вместо одиночного
причастия. Причастный оборот выражает
такое же значение, как относительное
(определительное) придаточное
предложение. (Придаточные предложения
описываются в статье Word Order in
Complex Sentences в разделе Grammar.)

Compare these sentences containing a

single participle, a participle construction, or
a relative clause:

Сравните эти предложения, содержащие

одиночное причастие, причастный оборот
или определительное придаточное
предложение:

The questions discussed were quite

important. – The questions discussed at the
meeting were quite important. – The
questions that were discussed at the
meeting were quite important.

Обсуждавшиеся вопросы были весьма

важными. – Вопросы, обсуждавшиеся на
собрании, были весьма важными. –
Вопросы, которые обсуждались на
собрании, были весьма важными.

Some of those invited refused to participate.

– Some of those invited to the meeting
refused to participate. – Some of the people
who were invited to the meeting refused to
participate.

Некоторые из приглашённых отказались

участвововать. – Некоторые из
приглашённых на собрание отказались
участвововать. – Некоторые из тех людей,
которых пригласили на собрание,
отказались участвововать.

Participle construction after noun

Причастный оборот после

существительного

Participle constructions in the function of

attributes stand after the nouns that they
modify. For example:
Причастные обороты в функции
определений стоят после
существительных, которые они
определяют. Например:

The boy playing with the kitten is my

nephew. (The boy who is playing with the
kitten is my nephew.)

Мальчик, играющий с котенком, мой

племянник. (Мальчик, который играет с
котенком, мой племянник.)

I talked to several people participating in the

project.

Я говорил с несколькими людьми,

участвующими в проекте.

The car parked by the entrance belongs to

the director.

Машина, припаркованная у входа,

принадлежит директору.

I need a list of the goods sold yesterday.

Мне нужен список товаров, проданных

вчера.
Active and passive meanings of
participles
Активные и страдательные
значения причастий

In the function of attributes, present

participles express active meaning, and past
participles express passive meaning.

В функции определений, причастия

настоящего времени выражают активное
значение, а причастия прошедшего
времени выражают страдательное
значение.

In a number of cases there are no

corresponding Russian participles with active
and passive meaning, for example, in the
case of "boring, bored". Compare these
sentences:

В ряде случаев нет соответствующих

русских причастий с активным и
страдательным значением, например, в
случае "boring, bored". Сравните эти
предложения:

His attitude is annoying.

Его отношение раздражающее.

She looks annoyed.

Она выглядит раздражённой.

It was surprising that he went there.

Было удивительно, что он пошёл туда.

I was surprised that he went there.

Я был удивлён, что он пошёл туда.

It was a boring party.

Это была скучная вечеринка.

Everyone was bored.

Всем было скучно.

I am bored. – Watch a film or read a book.

Мне скучно. – Посмотри фильм или

почитай книгу.

There are many pairs of frequently used

participles with active and passive meaning:
alarming, alarmed; astonishing, astonished;
convincing, convinced; disappointing,
disappointed; exciting, excited; exhausting,
exhausted; frightening, frightened;
humiliating, humiliated; horrifying, horrified;
irritating, irritated; shocking, shocked.
Есть много пар употребительных
причастий с активным и страдательным
значением: тревожащий, встревоженный;
изумляющий, изумлённый; убеждающий,
убеждённый; разочаровывающий,
разочарованный; волнующий,
взволнованный; изнуряющий,
изнурённый; пугающий, испуганный;
унижающий, униженный; ужасающий,
приведённый в ужас; раздражающий,
раздражённый; шокирующий,
шокированный.

Note: We translated the participles as

participles to show the difference between
active and passive meanings. Some
participles are often translated as
adjectives, for example, "alarming,
convincing, humiliating".

Примечание: Мы перевели причастия как

причастия, чтобы показать разницу между
активными и страдательными значениями.
Некоторые причастия часто переводятся
как прилагательные, например,
«тревожный, убедительный,
унизительный».

More examples for memorizing: amazing,

amazed; amusing, amused; charming,
charmed; confusing, confused; depressing,
depressed; developing, developed;
disgusting, disgusted; embarrassing,
embarrassed; encouraging, encouraged;
fascinating, fascinated; frustrating,
frustrated; pleasing, pleased; puzzling,
puzzled; relaxing, relaxed; satisfying,
satisfied; terrifying, terrified; thrilling,
thrilled; tiring, tired; worrying, worried.

Ещё примеры для запоминания: amazing,

amazed; amusing, amused; charming,
charmed; confusing, confused; depressing,
depressed; developing, developed;
disgusting, disgusted; embarrassing,
embarrassed; encouraging, encouraged;
fascinating, fascinated; frustrating,
frustrated; pleasing, pleased; puzzling,
puzzled; relaxing, relaxed; satisfying,
satisfied; terrifying, terrified; thrilling,
thrilled; tiring, tired; worrying, worried.

Some past participles in the function of

attributes can express active meaning. For
example: advanced students; experienced
users; developed countries; increased
activity.

Некоторые причастия прошедшего

времени в функции определения могут
выражать активное значение. Например:
продвинутые студенты; развитые страны;
опытные пользователи; возросшая
активность.
Intensifiers with past participles
Усилители с причастиями
прошедшего времени

The adverbs "very, much, very much"

intensify the meaning. "Very" is used with
adjectives (and with adverbs, e.g., very
quickly); "much" and "very much" are used
with verbs. For example, you can say "This
book is very good" and "I liked it very
much", but you can't say "I very liked it".

Наречия "very, much, very much"

усиливают значение. "Very" употребляется
с прилагательными (и с наречиями,
например, very quickly); "much" и "very
much" употребляются с глаголами.
Например, можно сказать "This book is
very good" и "I liked it very much", но
нельзя сказать "I very liked it".

Past participles, usually in the position after

the verb BE, may also be used with
intensifiers. Past participles that have
acquired strong adjectival qualities (usually,
they are participles expressing feelings) may
be used with "very", for example, "very
bored, very interested, very surprised, very
tired". Past participles that have strong
verbal qualities are used with "much" or
"very much", for example, "much obliged,
very much appreciated, very much
criticized, much reduced". Examples:

Причастия прошедшего времени, обычно в

положении после глагола BE, тоже могут
употребляться с усилителями. Причастия
прошедшего времени, которые приобрели
явные качества прилагательного (обычно
это причастия, выражающие чувства),
могут быть употреблены с "very",
например, "very bored, very interested,
very surprised, very tired". Причастия
прошедшего времени, которые имеют
явные глагольные качества,
употребляются с "much" или "very much",
например, "much obliged, very much
appreciated, very much criticized, much
reduced".

I was very tired yesterday.

Я очень устал вчера. (был очень усталым)

Your help was very much appreciated.

Ваша помощь была очень ценной.

Her first novel was much criticized.

Её первый роман много критиковали.

Her latest novel is much talked about.

О её последнем романе много говорят.

Which past participles can be used with

"very" and which only with "much" or "very
much" is a difficult question. There are no
recommended lists of past participles that
can be used with "very", and there is no
agreement among linguists on this issue.
Some linguists allow "very disappointed,
very annoyed, very pleased"; others insist
on "very much disappointed, very much
annoyed, very much pleased".

Какие причастия прошедшего времени

можно употребить с "very", а какие только
с "much" или "very much" – трудный
вопрос. Нет рекомендованных списков
причастий, которые можно употребить с
"very", и нет согласия между лингвистами
по этому вопросу. Некоторые лингвисты
разрешают "very disappointed, very
annoyed, very pleased"; другие настаивают
на "very much disappointed, very much
annoyed, very much pleased".

Generally, use "very", "much" or "very

much" with this or that past participle if you
saw such use in your textbook and in other
educational materials. Avoid frequent use of
these intensifiers with participles. This will
improve your style and will help you to avoid
mistakes.

В целом, употребите "very", "much" или

"very much" с тем или иным причастием
прошедшего времени, если вы видели
такое употребление в учебнике и в других
учебных материалах. Избегайте частого
употребления этих усилителей с
причастиями. Это улучшит ваш стиль и
поможет вам избежать ошибок.

Note:

Примечание:

The issue described above concerns only the

past participle because the present participle
is generally not used with "much" or "very
much". Whether you can use "very" with
this or that present participle depends on
the meaning of the participle and on how
close to the adjective it has become. For
example, you can say "very interesting, very
boring, very encouraging, very surprising",
but you can't say "very flying, very
working".

Вопрос, описанный выше, касается только

причастия прошедшего времени,
поскольку причастие настоящего времени
обычно не употребляется с "much" или
"very much". Можно ли употребить "very" с
тем или иным причастием настоящего
времени зависит от значения причастия и
от того, насколько близким к
прилагательному оно стало. Например,
можно сказать "very interesting, very
boring, very encouraging, very surprising",
но нельзя сказать "very flying, very
working".
Participles as adverbial modifiers
Причастия как обстоятельства

Participles in the function of adverbial

modifiers (of time, reason, manner,
accompanying circumstances, etc.) are
usually found in participle constructions,
though single participles are also quite
possible. The negative particle "not" is
placed before the participle. Participle
constructions in the function of adverbial
modifiers are used mostly in writing.

Причастия в функции обстоятельств

(времени, причины, образа действия,
сопутствующих обстоятельств и т.д.)
обычно встречаются в причастных
оборотах, хотя одиночные причастия тоже
вполне возможны. Отрицательная частица
"not" ставится перед причастием.
Причастные обороты в функции
обстоятельств употребляются в основном
в письменной речи.

Participle constructions in the function of

adverbial modifiers usually stand at the
beginning of the sentence, but may
sometimes stand in the middle or at the end
of the sentence. Since the action expressed
by the participle in such constructions
usually refers to the subject of the sentence,
the participle in any position in the sentence
should be clearly connected with the
subject.

Причастные обороты в функции

обстоятельств обычно стоят в начале
предложения, но могут иногда стоять в
середине или в конце предложения.
Поскольку действие, выраженное
причастием в таких конструкциях, обычно
относится к подлежащему предложения,
причастие в любом положении в
предложении должно быть ясно связано с
подлежащим.

Participle constructions in the function of

adverbial modifiers of time and reason
(usually at the beginning of the sentence)
express the same meaning as adverbial
clauses of time and reason. In some
examples below, corresponding complex
sentences are indicated in parentheses.

Причастные обороты в функции

обстоятельств времени и причины
(обычно в начале предложения)
выражают такое же значение, как
обстоятельственные придаточные
предложения времени и причины. В
некоторых примерах ниже,
соответствующие сложноподчинённые
предложения указаны в скобках.
Present participle as adverbial
modifier: Examples
Причастие настоящего времени
как обстоятельство: Примеры

Arriving at the airport, we learned that our

flight was delayed because of weather
conditions. (When we arrived at the airport,
we learned that our flight was delayed
because of weather conditions.)

Приехав в аэропорт, мы узнали, что наш

рейс отложен из-за погодных условий.
(Когда мы приехали в аэропорт, мы
узнали, что наш рейс отложен из-за
погодных условий.)

When doing the exercises, look up the new

words.

Делая упражнения, посмотрите новые

слова в словаре.

Standing by the window, he watched the

people on the street.

Стоя у окна, он наблюдал за людьми на

улице.

Having finished my work, I went home.

 had
(After I finished my work, I went home.)

Закончив работу, я пошёл домой. (После

того, как я закончил работу, я пошёл
домой.)

Having seen him in that building before, I

thought that he worked there. (As I had
seen him in that building before, I thought
that he worked there.)

Видев его в том здании раньше, я думал,

что он работает там. (Поскольку я видел
его в том здании раньше, я думал, что он
работает там.)

Feeling very tired, she went to bed early.

(She went to bed early because she was
feeling very tired.)

Чувствуя себя очень уставшей, она рано

легла спать. (Она рано легла спать,
потому что она чувствовала себя очень
уставшей.)

Not knowing what to expect, she was afraid

to open the door.

Не зная, чего ожидать, она боялась

открыть дверь.

Laughing, the girls ran out of the classroom.

Смеясь, девочки выбежали из класса.

She sat in the corner, waiting.

Она сидела в углу, ожидая.

He stood by the door, looking at us angrily.

Он стоял у двери, сердито глядя на нас.

Past participle as adverbial
modifier: Examples
Причастие прошедшего времени
как обстоятельство: Примеры

Asked to explain what happened, he said

that he didn't know. (When he was asked to
explain what happened, he said that he
didn't know.)

Когда его попросили объяснить, что

случилось, он сказал, что не знает.

If lost in a new city, call the police. (If you

are lost in a new city, call the police.)

Если вы потерялись в незнакомом городе,

позвоните в полицию.

Surprised by his strange decision, his friends

tried to talk him out of it.

Удивлённые его странным решением, его

друзья пытались отговорить его от этого.

Left in the yard, the books were spoiled by

the pouring rain.

Оставленные во дворе, книги были

испорчены проливным дождем.
Lost in the woods, the dog managed to find
the way home.

Потерянная в лесу, собака смогла найти

дорогу домой.

Cook and stir until thickened. (Cook and stir

until the mixture is thickened.)

Варите при помешивании до загустения.

(Варите при помешивании, пока смесь не
загустеет.)
Dangling participle
Неприкрепленное причастие

Usually, the action expressed by the

participle in the function of an adverbial
modifier refers to the subject of the
sentence.

Обычно, действие, выраженное

причастием в функции обстоятельства,
относится к подлежащему предложения.

The term "dangling participle" (unattached

participle) refers to the situation in which,
because of incorrect sentence structure, the
participle is unrelated to the subject or is
connected to the wrong noun. For example:

Термин "dangling participle"

(неприкреплённое причастие) имеет в
виду ситуацию, в которой из-за
неправильного построения предложения
причастие не связано с подлежащим или
связано не с тем существительным.
Например:

Coming out of the house, the rain started.

Выйдя из дома, начался дождь.

Not knowing his telephone, a letter was sent
to him.

Не зная его телефона, ему было послано

письмо.

Dangling participles are considered to be

bad style of writing. Besides, they can cause
misunderstanding. Sentences with dangling
participles should be restructured. It can be
done (1) by clearly indicating the subject of
the sentence so that the participle is clearly
attached to the subject, or (2) by changing
the participial construction into a
subordinate clause.

Неприкреплённые причастия считаются

плохим стилем письма. Кроме того, они
могут вызвать неправильное понимание.
Предложения с такими причастиями
следует перестроить. Это можно сделать
(1) ясным указанием подлежащего в
предложении, так чтобы причастие было
ясно прикреплено к подлежащему, или (2)
превращением причастного оборота в
придаточное предложение.

For example, the sentences with dangling

participles in the examples above can be
restructured in the following ways:
Например, предложения с
неприкреплёнными причастиями в
примерах выше можно перестроить
следующим образом:

Coming out of the house, I saw that the rain

started.

Выйдя из дома, я увидел, что начался

дождь.

When I came out of the house, the rain

started.

Когда я вышел из дома, начался дождь.

Not knowing his telephone, we sent a letter

to him.

Не зная его телефона, мы послали ему

письмо.

As we didn't know his telephone, we sent a

letter to him.

Поскольку мы не знали его телефона, мы

послали ему письмо.

It is necessary to say that dangling

participles are rather common in literary
works, especially in those cases where the
subject is impersonal "It", and where weak
connection between the participle and the
subject does not lead to ambiguity for the
reader. For example:

Необходимо сказать, что

неприкреплённые причастия довольно
часто встречаются в литературных
произведениях, особенно в тех случаях,
где подлежащим является безличное "It" и
где слабая связь между причастием и
подлежащим не ведёт к неясности для
читателя. Например:

Going home, it occurred to me that I had

probably seen him before.

Идя домой, мне пришло в голову, что я

вероятно видел его раньше.

Nevertheless, it may be advisable for

language learners to avoid using such
sentences in formal writing, especially in
test and examination papers.

Тем не менее, для изучающих язык может

быть целесообразным избегать
употребления таких предложений в
официальной письменной речи, особенно
в контрольных и экзаменационных
работах.

Note: Prepositions and conjunctions in

the form of participles
Примечание: Предлоги и союзы в
форме причастий

Some prepositions and conjunctions are in

the form of participles. For example:
concerning, considering, including,
notwithstanding, owing to, judging from,
provided that, regarding, supposing.

Некоторые предлоги и союзы имеют

форму причастий. Например: concerning,
considering, including, notwithstanding,
owing to, judging from, provided that,
regarding, supposing.

They do not require a strict connection with

the subject and should not be regarded as
dangling participles. The same can be said
about participles in such set expressions as
"generally speaking, strictly speaking, taking
into consideration" and some others.
Examples:

Они не требуют строгой связи с

подлежащим и не должны считаться
"dangling participles". То же самое можно
сказать о причастиях в таких устойчивых
выражениях как "generally speaking,
strictly speaking, taking into consideration"
и некоторых других. Примеры:
Owing to the rain, the game was postponed.
Considering the price, this table is a good
buy. Strictly speaking, they are not her
relatives.

Из-за дождя игра была отложена.

Принимая во внимание цену, этот стол –
удачная покупка. Строго говоря, они не
являются её родственниками.
 Absolute participle construction
Самостоятельный причастный
оборот

The absolute participle construction has its

own subject (to which the action expressed
by the participle refers) and can stand at the
beginning or at the end of the sentence.
Sometimes the preposition "with" introduces
an absolute participle clause.

Самостоятельный причастный оборот

имеет своё собственное подлежащее (к
которому относится действие, выраженное
причастием) и может стоять в начале или
в конце предложения. Иногда предлог
"with" вводит самостоятельный
причастный оборот.

Absolute participle constructions are often

used in literary works and scientific writing,
also but are rare in ordinary speech. In your own
speech, you can replace absolute participle
constructions with simpler constructions.
Examples:

Абсолютные причастные обороты часто

употребляются в литературных
произведениях и в научной литературе,
но редки в обычной речи. В вашей речи,
вы можете заменить самостоятельные
причастные обороты более простыми
конструкциями. Примеры:

The weather being nice and warm, we went

for a walk. (As the weather was nice and
warm, we went for a walk.)

Поскольку погода была хорошая и тёплая,

мы пошли на прогулку.

Nobody knowing what to do, we decided to

do nothing. (Because nobody knew what to
do, we decided to do nothing.)

Так как никто не знал, что делать, мы

решили ничего не делать.

Two of them headed toward the director's

office, the other three staying in the hall.
(Two of them headed toward the director's
office, and the other three stayed in the
hall.)

Двое из них направились к кабинету

директора, а трое других остались в
коридоре.

Sydney is the largest city in Australia, with

Melbourne being the second largest.
Сидней – самый большой город в
Австралии, а Мельбурн – второй по
величине.

Their recent fight forgotten, the children

began to play with their new toys. (The
children forgot their recent fight and began
to play with their new toys.)

Позабыв недавнюю ссору, дети начали

играть со своими новыми игрушками.
(Дети забыли свою недавнюю ссору и
начали играть с новыми игрушками.)

Our work finished, we said good-bye and

left.

Так как наша работа была закончена, мы

попрощались и ушли.

She listened to his story quietly, with her

eyes closed and her face impassive.

Она слушала его рассказ спокойно, с

закрытыми глазами и бесстрастным
лицом.
Participles in constructions with
complex object
Причастия в конструкциях со
сложным дополнением

In sentences like "I saw him crossing the

street. I found him sleeping. I had my car
washed.", the constructions "him crossing;
him sleeping; car washed" are often called
"complex object" in Russian grammar
materials.

В предложениях типа "I saw him crossing

the street. I found him sleeping. I had my
car washed.", конструкции "him crossing;
him sleeping; car washed" часто
называются "complex object" (сложное
дополнение) в русских материалах по
грамматике.

The term "complex object" is rarely found in

English grammar materials. Instead,
participles in such constructions are usually
called "object complement; objective
complement; objective predicate". (See
Verbs Glossary of Terms in the section
Grammar.)

Термин "complex object" редко

встречается в английских материалах по
грамматике. Вместо этого, причастия в
таких конструкциях обычно называются
"object complement; objective complement;
objective predicate". (См. Verbs Glossary of
Terms в разделе Grammar.)

The use of the infinitive in constructions with

complex object is described in The Infinitive
in the section Grammar and in the
commentary (in Russian) to the song Joe
Cocker - N'Oubliez Jamais in the section
Hobby.

Употребление инфинитива в конструкциях

со сложным дополнением описывается в
материале The Infinitive в разделе
Grammar и в комментарии (на русском
языке) к песне Joe Cocker - N'Oubliez
Jamais в разделе Hobby.
Present participle in constructions
with complex object
Причастие настоящего времени в
конструкциях со сложным
дополнением

Constructions after verbs of sense

perception

Конструкции после глаголов

чувственного восприятия

The present participle is used in

constructions with complex object after the
verbs of sense perception "hear, see, watch,
observe, notice, feel" to indicate the action
in progress. For example:

Причастие настоящего времени

употребляется в конструкциях со сложным
дополнением после глаголов чувственного
восприятия "hear, see, watch, observe,
notice, feel", чтобы показать действие в
процессе. Например:

I saw him locking the door. I saw him

watching me. I see her smiling.

Я видел, как он запирал дверь. Я видел,

что он наблюдает за мной. Я вижу, как
она улыбается.

I heard them laughing. I hear the telephone

ringing.

Я слышал, как они смеялись. Я слышу,

как звонит телефон.

She felt him looking at her. She noticed him

smiling at something.

Она чувствовала, что он смотрит на неё.

Она заметила, как/что он улыбается чему-
то.

The infinitive in such constructions usually

expresses a completed action, but if the
verb is of continuing nature, the infinitive
can express the action in progress.
Compare:

Инфинитив в таких конструкциях обычно

выражает законченное действие, но если
глагол продолженного характера,
инфинитив может выражать действие в
процессе. Сравните:

I saw him crossing the street. – I saw him

cross the street.

Я видел, как он переходил улицу. – Я

видел, как он перешёл улицу.
I saw her coming out of the house. – I saw
her come out of the house.

Я видел, как она выходила из дома. – Я

видел, как она вышла из дома.

I heard the telephone ringing. – I heard the

telephone ring.

Я слышал, как звонил телефон. – Я

слышал, как зазвонил телефон.

I heard him singing. – I heard him sing.

Я слышал, как он пел. – Я слышал, как он

пел.

I heard her crying. – I heard her cry.

Я слышал, как она плакала. – Я слышал,

как она плакала.

He watched them walking slowly toward the

house. / He watched them walk slowly
toward the house.

Он наблюдал, как они медленно шли по

направлению к дому.

Note:

Примечание:

Note the use of participles after the verbs

"smell" and "find":

Обратите внимание на употребление

причастий после глаголов "smell" и "find":

I smell something burning.

Я чувствую (по запаху), что что-то горит.

I found him sleeping.

Я нашёл его спящим.

She finds him interesting.

Она находит его интересным.

I found the door locked.

Я обнаружил, что дверь заперта.

Past participle in constructions
with complex object
Причастие прошедшего времени
в конструкциях со сложным
дополнением

Constructions after "see, hear, want,

consider"

Конструкции после "see, hear, want,

consider"

The past participle is used in constructions

with complex object to show that the person
or thing indicated by the object undergoes
the action indicated by the participle.

Причастие прошедшего времени

употребляется в конструкциях со сложным
дополнением, чтобы показать, что лицо
или предмет, указанный дополнением,
подвергается действию причастия.

He saw his bags put into the trunk of a large

car.

Он видел, как его вещи положили в

багажник большого автомобиля.

She saw several participants arrested during

the demonstration.

Она видела, как нескольких участников

арестовали во время демонстрации.

We heard her name mentioned during the

discussion.

Мы слышали, как её имя упоминали во

время дискуссии.

He wants it done as soon as possible.

Он хочет, чтобы это было сделано как

можно скорее.

We want him elected.

Мы хотим, чтобы его избрали.

I consider this matter closed.

Я считаю этот вопрос закрытым.

Note: In the last three examples above, the

participles "done, elected, closed" may be
regarded as shortened variants of the
passive infinitive forms "to be done; to be
elected; to be closed".

Примечание: В последних трёх примерах

выше, причастия "done, elected, closed"
могут рассматриваться как укороченные
варианты пассивных форм инфинитива "to
be done; to be elected; to be closed".

Construction "have something done"

Конструкция "have something done"

In constructions like "I had it done", the

past participle is used after the verb "have"
(or after "get" in informal speech) to show
that the action is performed for you by
someone, usually at your request. (See The
Verb HAVE in the section Grammar.)

В конструкциях типа "I had it done",

причастие прошедшего времени
употребляется после глагола "have" (или
после "get" в разговорной речи), чтобы
показать, что действие выполняется для
вас кем-то, обычно по вашей просьбе.
(См. The Verb HAVE в разделе Grammar.)

I had my car washed.

Мне вымыли машину.

He had his hair cut yesterday.

Ему постригли волосы вчера.

She got her TV repaired.

Ей починили телевизор.
 However, in some cases the action
expressed by the participle after the verb
"have" in such constructions is performed
not at your request, and the action may be
unpleasant. Examples:

Однако в некоторых случаях, действие,

выраженное причастием после глагола
"have" в таких конструкциях, совершается
не по вашей просьбе, и это действие
может быть неприятным. Примеры:

She had her purse stolen yesterday.

У неё вчера украли кошелёк.

He had his nose broken in a fight.

Ему сломали нос в драке.

She got her finger jammed in the door.

Она прищемила (ей прищемило) палец

дверью.

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Participle and Gerund
Причастие и герундий

This material provides examples illustrating

the differences in the use of the present
participle and the gerund, which should help
you to learn how to distinguish between
these verbals in difficult cases of their use.
This material is intended mostly for
intermediate and advanced learners of
English.

Данный материал даёт примеры,

иллюстрирующие различия в
употреблении причастия настоящего
времени и герундия, что должно вам
помочь научиться различать эти неличные
формы глагола в трудных случаях их
употребления. Этот материал
предназначен в основном для изучающих
среднего и продвинутого уровня.
Comparison of present participle
and gerund
Сравнение причастия
настоящего времени и герундия

The present participle and the gerund are

formed from the verb by adding "ing", but
their functions are different. The present
participle is used in the formation of certain
tenses and can also be used in the function
of an adjective. The gerund is used in the
function of a noun.

Причастие настоящего времени и

герундий образуются от глагола
прибавлением "ing", но их функции
различны. Причастие настоящего времени
используется в образовании некоторых
времён, а также может употребляться в
функции прилагательного. Герундий
употребляется в функции
существительного.

In some cases, it is quite difficult to

distinguish the present participle from the
gerund. Because of that, the term "ing
form" is often used instead of the terms
"gerund" and "present participle" in the
materials for language learners. That makes
sense, of course – you don't always need to
know what this or that form is called in
order to use it correctly.

В некоторых случаях весьма трудно

отличить причастие настоящего времени
от герундия. Из-за этого, термин "ing
form" часто употребляется вместо
терминов "gerund" и "present participle" в
материалах для изучающих язык. Это
имеет смысл, конечно – не всегда
обязательно знать, как называется та или
иная форма для того, чтобы употреблять
её правильно.

But in this material we want to show the

differences in the use of the present
participle and the gerund, so we use the
terms "gerund" and "present participle"
here.

Но в этом материале мы хотим показать

различия в употреблении причастия
настоящего времени и герундия, поэтому
здесь мы используем термины "gerund" и
"present participle".

Participles, gerunds and their constructions

are often translated into Russian with the
help of adverbial participles or subordinate
clauses, i.e., participles and gerunds may be
undistinguishable in Russian translation.
(See notes on translation in The Participle in
the section Grammar.)

Причастия, герундий и их конструкции

часто переводятся на русский с помощью
деепричастий или придаточных
предложений, т.е. причастия и герундий
могут быть неразличимы в русском
переводе. (Посмотрите примечания по
переводу в статье The Participle в разделе
Grammar.)
Present participle and gerund:
Simple forms
Причастие настоящего времени и
герундий: Простые формы

Compare the examples below. The present

participle "singing" is part of the present
continuous tense form in the first example.
The participle "singing" is in the function of
an attribute in the second and third
examples. The gerund "singing" is in the
function of a noun (the subject; predicative
noun; direct object).

Сравните примеры ниже. Причастие

настоящего времени "singing" является
частью формы настоящего продолженного
времени в первом примере. Причастие
"singing" в функции определения во
втором и третьем примерах. Герундий
"singing" в функции существительного
(подлежащее; предикативное
существительное; прямое дополнение).

Present participle:

Причастие настоящего времени:

The girl is singing.

Девочка поет.

The singing girl is very pretty.

Поющая девочка очень хорошенькая.

The girl singing a song is from my class.

Девочка, поющая песню, из моего класса.

Gerund:

Герундий:

Singing is her hobby.

Пение – её хобби.

Her hobby is singing.

Её хобби – пение.

She likes singing.

Она любит пение.

In the examples above, the difference

between the simple forms of the present
participle and gerund should be clear. Even
the sentences "The girl is singing; Her
hobby is singing", though similar in
structure, should not cause any
misunderstanding. (See the part "Participle
and gerund after BE" below.)
В примерах выше, разница между
простыми формами причастия настоящего
времени и герундия должна быть понятна.
Даже предложения "The girl is singing; Her
hobby is singing", хотя и похожие по
строению, не должны вызвать
неправильное понимание. (Посмотрите
часть "Participle and gerund after BE"
ниже.)
Present participle and gerund:
Compound forms
Причастие настоящего времени и
герундий: Сложные формы

Compound forms of participles and gerunds,

that is, their perfect, passive, and perfect
passive forms, are more difficult to compare
and understand, but they will become
clearer if you remember that the gerund
answers the question "what?" and is often
found after prepositions. (Compound forms
are used mostly in formal writing.)
Compare:

Сложные формы причастий и герундия,

т.е. их перфектные, пассивные и
перфектные пассивные формы, более
трудны для сравнения и понимания, но
они станут более понятными, если вы
вспомните, что герундий отвечает на
вопрос "what?" и часто встречается после
предлогов. (Сложные формы
употребляются в основном в официальной
письменной речи.) Сравните:

Participles:

Причастия:
Having written my article, I asked the
secretary to type it.

Написав свою статью, я попросил

секретаря отпечатать её.

The question being discussed now is rather

difficult.

Вопрос, обсуждаемый сейчас, довольно

трудный.

His task having been finished, he went

home.

Поскольку его задание было выполнено,

он пошел домой.

Gerunds:

Герундий:

I remember having written several letters

before writing the report.

Я помню, что написал несколько писем

перед написанием доклада.

She insists on being told the truth.

Она настаивает на том, чтобы ей сказали

правду.

He was surprised at having been invited to

the wedding reception.

Он был удивлен тем, что его пригласили

на свадебный прием.
Participle and gerund after BE
Причастие и герундий после BE

(1) After the auxiliary verb BE, the participle

is part of the tense form. After the linking
verb BE, the participle is used a predicative
adjective (in the predicative complement).
The gerund after the linking verb BE is used
as a predicative nominal (in the predicative
complement).

(1) После вспомогательного глагола BE

причастие является частью формы
времени. После глагола-связки BE
причастие употребляется как
предикативное прилагательное (в
именной части сказуемого). Герундий
после глагола-связки BE употребляется
как предикативное существительное (в
именной части сказуемого).

She is traveling in Europe now. (participle

"traveling" as part of the present continuous
tense form)

Она сейчас путешествует в Европе.

(причастие "traveling" как часть формы
настоящего продолженного времени)
Her knowledge of European countries is
amazing. (participle "amazing" as
predicative adjective)

Её знание европейских стран

поразительно. (причастие "amazing" как
предикативное прилагательное)

Her favorite occupation is traveling in

Europe. (gerund "traveling" as predicative
noun)

Её любимое занятие – путешествия в

Европе. (герундий "traveling" как
предикативное существительное)

(2) The present participle in the function of

an adjective may be used after some other
linking verbs (for example, "It seems
surprising"). The gerund in the function of
direct object is used after many notional
verbs. For example:

(2) Причастие настоящего времени в

функции прилагательного может
употребляться после некоторых других
глаголов-связок (например, It seems
surprising). Герундий в функции прямого
дополнения употребляется после многих
смысловых глаголов. Например:

She likes traveling. (gerund "traveling" as

direct object)

Она любит путешествовать. (герундий

"traveling" как прямое дополнение)

He suggested visiting a museum.

Он предложил посетить музей.

You should quit smoking.

Вам следует бросить курить. (бросить

курение)

You can find many examples of gerunds

after certain verbs in Infinitive or Gerund in
the section Grammar.

Вы можете найти много примеров

герундия после определенных глаголов в
материале Infinitive or Gerund в разделе
Grammar.
Participles and gerunds before
nouns
Причастия и герундий перед
существительными

Compare these participle + noun and

gerund + noun combinations. Note the
stress.

Сравните эти сочетания participle + noun и

gerund + noun. Обратите внимание на
ударение.

swimming 'boy – 'swimming pool;

плывущий мальчик – плавательный

бассейн;

flying 'birds – 'flying goggles;

летящие птицы – лётные очки;

sewing 'woman – 'sewing machine;

шьющая женщина – швейная машина;

walking 'man – 'walking stick;

идущий человек – трость для ходьбы;

reading 'girl – 'reading lamp;

читающая девочка – лампа для чтения;

moving 'truck – 'moving truck.

движущийся грузовик – грузовик для

перевозки мебели.

In such combinations, the participle is used

as an attribute and usually expresses
continuous nature of the action (the
swimming boy = the boy who is swimming).
The gerund is used as a noun (i.e., as the
first part of a compound noun) and shows
for what something is used (a swimming
pool = a pool for swimming).

В таких сочетаниях, причастие

употребляется как определение и обычно
выражает продолжающийся характер
действия (плывущий мальчик = мальчик,
который плывет). Герундий употребляется
как существительное (т.е. как первая
часть сложного существительного) и
показывает для чего что-то используется
(плавательный бассейн = бассейн для
плавания).

Such combinations are described in Stress in

Compound Words in the section Phonetics
and in the answer (in Russian) to the
message from Natasha (17.05.09) in the
subsection Messages about Phonetics in the
section Messages.

Такие сочетания описаны в статье Stress

in Compound Words в разделе Phonetics и
в ответе (на русском языке) на сообщение
от Natasha (17.05.09) в подразделе
Messages about Phonetics в разделе
Messages.
Gerund after prepositions
Герундий после предлогов

The participle is not used after prepositions.

The gerund is often used after prepositions.
(Prepositions are used with nouns; gerunds
are used in the function of nouns.) Examples
of gerunds after prepositions:

Причастие не употребляется после

предлогов. Герундий часто употребляется
после предлогов. (Предлоги
употребляются с существительными;
герундий употребляется в функции
существительных.) Примеры герундия
после предлогов:

after leaving; before asking a question; on

receiving their letter; without explaining the
reason; by studying grammar;

после ухода; до задавания вопроса; по

получении их письма; без объяснения
причины; путем изучения грамматики;

necessity of going there; importance of

being punctual; reason for saying it;

необходимость идти туда; важность быть

пунктуальным; причина говорить это;
to insist on selling the house; to object to
buying a car; to disapprove of smoking; to
apologize for being late;

настаивать на продаже дома; возражать

против покупки автомобиля; не одобрять
курение; извиниться за опоздание;

to be fond of singing; to be proud of winning

the game; to be interested in playing the
guitar.

любить пение; гордиться выигрышем в

игре; интересоваться игрой на гитаре.

Note: After the conjunctions "when" and

"while" the present participle is used.

Примечание: После союзов "when" и

"while" употребляется причастие
настоящего времени.

Be very attentive when reading the terms of

the contract.

Будьте очень внимательны, когда читаете

условия контракта.

We discussed those questions while

preparing for the meeting.

Мы обсуждали те вопросы, готовясь к

собранию. (пока готовились)
Participles, gerunds and their
constructions
Причастия, герундий и их
конструкции

Participles, gerunds and their constructions

often stand at the beginning of sentences.
Gerunds are often found after prepositions.

Причастия, герундий и их конструкции

часто стоят в начале предложений.
Герундий часто встречается после
предлогов.

Talking with her, I understood that she didn't

know about that incident. (participle
"talking")

Разговаривая с ней, я понял, что она не

знает о том происшествии. (причастие
"talking")

Talking with her was not easy. (gerund

"talking")

Разговаривать (т.е. разговаривание) с ней

было нелегко. (герундий "talking")

Coming home, he found several valuable

things missing. (participles "coming,
missing")

Придя домой, он обнаружил, что

несколько ценных вещей пропали.
(причастия "coming, missing")

On coming home he found several valuable

things missing. (gerund "coming")

Придя (т.е. После прихода) домой, он

обнаружил, что несколько ценных вещей
пропали. (герундий "coming")

Having called the police, he checked the

door lock again. ("having called" is the
perfect form of the participle "calling")

Позвонив в полицию, он снова проверил

дверной замок. ("having called" –
перфектная форма причастия "calling")

After calling the police, he checked the door

lock again. (gerund "calling")

Позвонив (т.е. После звонка) в полицию,

он снова проверил дверной замок.
(герундий "calling")

Having seen him there before, she thinks

that he lives there. ("having seen" is the
perfect form of the participle "seeing")

Видев его там раньше, она думает, что он

живет там. ("having seen" – перфектная
форма причастия "seeing")

She remembers having seen him there

before. ("having seen" is the perfect form of
the gerund "seeing")

Она помнит (тот факт), что она видела его

там раньше. ("having seen" – перфектная
форма герундия "seeing")

He left early, saying that he had an

appointment. (participle "saying")

Он ушел рано, сказав, что у него

назначена встреча. (причастие "saying")

She left without saying good-bye. (gerund

"saying")

Она ушла, не попрощавшись. (герундий

"saying")
Set phrases with gerund
Устойчивые фразы с герундием

It is no use + gerund

It is no use + герундий

It is no use waiting for him.

Бесполезно ждать его.

It's no use asking him for help.

Бесполезно просить его о помощи.

It's no use trying to talk him out of it.

Бесполезно пытаться отговорить его от

этого.

Language learners often ask whether the

ing-form is a participle or a gerund in such
sentences. To find the answer, restructure
the sentence replacing "It" with the real
subject. (In sentences with the formal
subject "It", the real subject is in the
predicative.) For example:

Изучающие язык часто спрашивают,

является ли форма ing-form причастием
или герундием в таких предложениях.
Чтобы найти ответ, перестройте
предложение, заменив "It" реальным
подлежащим. (В предложениях с
формальным подлежащим "It", настоящее
подлежащее находится в предикативе.)
Например:

It is no use waiting for him. – Waiting for

him is (of) no use.

Бесполезно ждать его. – Ждать его

бесполезно. (т.е. ожидание бесполезно)

In the second example, "waiting" is the

subject, answers the question "what?", and
is used as a noun. Consequently, "waiting" is
a gerund in both sentences.

Во втором примере, "waiting" является

подлежащим, отвечает на вопрос "what?"
и употребляется как существительное.
Следовательно, "waiting" является
герундием в обоих предложениях.

Note: The infinitive may be used instead of

the gerund in such sentences. For example:
It is no use to wait for him.

Примечание: Инфинитив может

употребляться вместо герундия в таких
предложениях. Например: It is no use to
wait for him. (Бесполезно ждать его.)
There is no point + in + gerund

There is no point + in + герундий

There is no point in asking a question if you

don't want to listen to the answer.

Нет смысла задавать вопрос, если вы не

хотите слушать ответ.

There was no point in asking him about it.

Не было смысла спрашивать его об этом.

(т.е. не было смысла в спрашивании)

There was no point in repairing our old

refrigerator. We decided to buy a new one.

Не было смысла ремонтировать наш

старый холодильник. Мы решили купить
новый.

There's no sense in going there now.

Нет смысла идти туда сейчас.

We had trouble + gerund

We had trouble + герундий

He had trouble finding a place to live.

У него были трудности в поиске жилья.

We had trouble communicating with them.

У нас были трудности в общении с ними.

We had difficulty understanding his speech.

У нас были трудности в понимании его

речи.

She had difficulty getting a visa.

У неё были трудности в получении визы.

I had a problem choosing a present for her.

У меня были трудности с выбором подарка

для неё.

Students often think that the ing-form is a

present participle in such sentences because
they translate the ing-form with the help of
a Russian adverbial participle. Actually, what
is meant is "difficulty in doing something",
which means that here the ing-form is a
gerund.

Студенты часто думают, что ing-form –

причастие настоящего времени в таких
предложениях, т.к. они переводят ing-
form с помощью русского деепричастия.
На самом деле имеется в виду «трудность
в делании чего-то», что означает, что
здесь ing-form – герундий.
be worth + gerund

be worth + герундий

This coat is worth buying.

Это пальто стоит купить.

This film is worth seeing.

Этот фильм стоит посмотреть.

This book is dull. It's not worth reading.

Эта книга скучная. Её не стоит читать.

It's a trifle. It's not worth mentioning.

Это пустяк. Его не стоит упоминать / не

заслуживает упоминания.
Gerund after possessive forms of
nouns and pronouns
Герундий после притяжательных
форм существительных и
местоимений

An animate noun in the possessive case or a

possessive pronoun may stand before a
gerund. In such constructions, the gerund is
closely connected with the preceding noun
or pronoun, and this combination functions
as a subject, object, attribute, or adverbial
modifier. For example:

Одушевленное существительное в
притяжательном падеже или
притяжательное местоимение может
стоять перед герундием. В таких
конструкциях герундий тесно связан с
предшествующим существительным или
местоимением, и это сочетание
функционирует как подлежащее,
дополнение, определение или
обстоятельство. Например:

Tom's leaving so early upset our plans.

Уход Тома так рано расстроил наши

планы.
We enjoyed Alisa's playing the piano.

Нам понравилась игра Алисы на пианино.

We are proud of Anton's winning a prize.

Мы гордимся (тем), что Антон выиграл

приз.

We are proud of his winning a prize.

Мы гордимся (тем), что он выиграл приз.

She resented their coming to her birthday

party without invitation.

Её возмутил их приход на её день

рождения без приглашения.

I don't understand your not wanting to

invite him to the party.

Я не понимаю вашего нежелания

пригласить его на вечеринку.

There was no chance of our getting the

tickets for that concert.

У нас не было шансов достать билеты на

тот концерт.

Inanimate nouns before gerunds are used

without the apostrophe and "s". (Inanimate
nouns are generally not used in the
possessive case.) The pronouns "its" (in the
singular) and "their" (in the plural) are used
as substitutes for inanimate nouns before
gerunds in this construction. For example:

Неодушевленные существительные перед

герундием употребляются без апострофа и
"s". (Неодушевленные существительные
обычно не употребляются в
притяжательном падеже.) Местоимения
"its" (для ед.ч.) и "their" (для мн.ч.)
употребляются как заменители для
неодушевленных существительных перед
герундием в этой конструкции. Например:

We complained about the hotel being too far

from the beach.

Мы пожаловались на то, что гостиница

была слишком далеко от пляжа.

There was little chance of our plane leaving

on time.

Было мало шансов того, что наш самолет

вылетит вовремя.

I like this sofa and object to its being

replaced.

Я люблю этот диван и возражаю против

его замены.
These planes are very noisy, and their flying
so low is getting on my nerves.

Эти самолеты очень шумные, и их полеты

так низко действуют мне на нервы.

In informal speech and writing, animate

nouns before gerunds in such cases are
often used without the apostrophe and "s",
and personal pronouns are used in the
objective case, usually in those cases where
such combinations function as objects,
attributes or adverbial modifiers. For
example:

В неформальной устной и письменной

речи одушевленные существительные
перед герундием в таких случаях часто
употребляются без апострофа и "s", а
личные местоимения употребляются в
косвенном падеже, обычно в тех случаях,
где такие сочетания являются
дополнениями, определениями или
обстоятельствами. Например:

We are proud of Anton winning a prize.

Мы гордимся (тем), что Антон выиграл

приз.

We are proud of him winning a prize.

(formal=his)
Мы гордимся (тем), что он выиграл приз.

He was disappointed by so many people

voting against his plan.

Он был разочарован тем, что так много

людей проголосовали против его плана.

Because of Nina having to leave at dawn, we

helped her to pack her suitcases
beforehand.

Поскольку Нина должна была уехать на

рассвете, мы помогли ей упаковать
чемоданы заранее.

He was angry at them telling him what to do

and what not to do.

Он был зол на них за то, что они

указывали ему, что делать и чего не
делать.

Gerund or participle?

Герундий или причастие?

Language learners often ask whether the

ing-form in informal constructions (with
animate nouns without the apostrophe and
"s") is a gerund or a participle.

Изучающие язык часто спрашивают,

является ли форма ing-form в
неформальных конструкциях (с
одушевленными существительными без
апострофа и "s") причастием или
герундием.

Since the constructions used in informal

style ("Anton winning" and "him winning" in
our examples) are simplified variants of the
more formal constructions with gerund
("Anton's winning" and "his winning"), it is
natural to assume that the ing-form in such
simplified constructions is also a gerund and
has the same meaning. (In our opinion, it's
a gerund.)

Поскольку конструкции, употребляемые в

неофициальном стиле ("Anton winning" и
"him winning" в наших примерах) – это
упрощенные варианты более
официальных конструкций с герундием
("Anton's winning" и "his winning"),
естественно предположить, что ing-form в
таких упрощенных конструкциях тоже
герундий и имеет то же значение. (По
нашему мнению, это герундий.)

In English sources, the ing-form in

constructions like "Anton winning; him
winning" is traditionally called "fused
participle" and is regarded as a present
participle in some linguistic materials.
"Fused" refers to the tight connection of the
participle with the preceding noun or
personal pronoun, together with which the
participle in this particular construction
forms a combination used as a noun.

В английских источниках, ing-form в

конструкциях типа "Anton winning; him
winning" традиционно называется "fused
participle" и рассматривается как
причастие настоящего времени в
некоторых лингвистических материалах.
"Fused" имеет в виду тесную связь
причастия с предшествующим
существительным или личным
местоимением, вместе с которым
причастие в этой конструкции образует
сочетание, употребляемое как
существительное.

Despite these differences, linguists generally

agree that the combination noun + ing-form
or pronoun + ing-form in such constructions
is an indivisible unit used as a noun.

Несмотря на эти различия, лингвисты в

целом согласны, что сочетание noun +
ing-form или pronoun + ing-form в таких
конструкциях – это неразделимое целое,
употребляемое как существительное.
How to use such constructions

Как употреблять такие конструкции

Constructions with animate nouns without

the apostrophe and "s" before gerunds are
quite common in informal speech.
Constructions with inanimate nouns without
the apostrophe and "s" before gerunds are
widely used in newspaper articles and in
texts of commercial, technical and scientific
character, as well as in spoken English.

Конструкции с одушевленными
существительными без апострофа и "s"
перед герундием весьма употребительны в
устной речи. Конструкции с
неодушевленными существительными без
апострофа и "s" перед герундием широко
употребляются в газетных статьях и
текстах коммерческого, технического и
научного характера, а также в устной
речи.

Style manuals generally object to the use of

constructions like "proud of Anton winning"
and "proud of him winning" in formal speech
and writing because such constructions are
considered to be incorrect from a
grammatical point of view.
Справочники по стилю обычно возражают
против употребления конструкций типа
"proud of Anton winning" and "proud of him
winning" в официальной устной и
письменной речи, т.к. такие конструкции
считаются неправильными с точки зрения
грамматики.

If you want to use such constructions in

writing, use the possessive forms of animate
nouns and personal pronouns before
gerunds: We are proud of Anton's winning a
prize. We are proud of his winning a prize.

Если вы хотите употребить такие

конструкции в письменной речи,
употребите притяжательные формы
существительных и личных местоимений
перед герундием: We are proud of Anton's
winning a prize. We are proud of his winning
a prize.

If you don't want to use such complicated

constructions, you can always restructure
your sentences. For example: We are proud
that Anton has won a prize. We are proud
that he has won a prize. There was little
chance that our plane would leave on time.

Если вы не хотите употреблять такие

усложненные конструкции, вы всегда
можете перестроить свои предложения.
Например: Мы гордимся, что Антон
выиграл приз. Мы гордимся, что он
выиграл приз. Было мало шансов, что наш
самолет вылетит вовремя.

Similar constructions with participles

Похожие конструкции с причастиями

There are similar constructions in which the

present participle is used.

Есть похожие конструкции, в которых

употребляется причастие настоящего
времени.

In complex objects after verbs of sense

perception: I saw him crossing the street.
We heard him singing.

В сложных дополнениях после глаголов

чувственного восприятия: Я видел, как он
переходил улицу. Мы слышали, как он
пел.

In absolute participle constructions: Mike

being on vacation, I decided to ask Tom for
help. With universities offering various forms
of distance education, anyone can get
higher education these days.
 В абсолютных причастных оборотах: Так
как Майк был в отпуске, я решил
попросить помощи у Тома. Поскольку
университеты предлагают различные
формы дистанционного обучения, любой
может получить высшее образование в
наши дни.

© 2007-2019 UsefulEnglish.ru | RSS | Site Map | About

3. Which of the following parts of speech do adverbial phrases never
modify?
a) Nouns
b) Verbs
c) Adjectives
d) Adverbs

4. Identify the type of adverbial phrase used in the following sentence.

“The group worked late to get the job done early.”
a) Intensifier
b) Infinitive phrase
c) Prepositional phrase
d) Mitigator
e) None of the above

5. Which of the following do adverbial phrases typically not describe?

a) Reason or purpose
b) Time
c) Location or direction
d) Possession

Participle Phrases
Definition
Participles are words formed from verbs that can function as adjectives, as
gerunds, or to form the continuous and perfect tenses of verbs. Past
participles are often (but not always) formed by adding “-d” or “-ed” to the
end of the verb, while present participles are always formed by adding “-
ing” to the end.
When they function as adjectives, participles can form participle phrases
(sometimes known as participle clauses) with any information that
modifies or complements them. Because they function as adjectives,
participle phrases modify nouns, noun phrases, or pronouns in a sentence.

925
Using participle phrases
We can form phrases using present, past, perfect, and passive perfect
participles—each one changes the way the noun is modified. Where they
appear in a sentence also impacts the sentence’s meaning, as well as the way
in which they’re punctuated.

Present participle phrases

If we use the present participle in a phrase, we give the phrase an active
meaning. In other words, the noun being modified is the agent of the action
expressed by the present participle. For example:
• “Singing in the shower, I was oblivious to the doorbell ringing.” (I was
singing.)
• “James, hiding under the bed, was completely silent.” (James was
hiding.)

Past participle phrases

If we use the past participle to form an adjectival phrase, the noun being
modified is either given a passive role in the action, or else is being described.
For example:
• “My car, destroyed in the accident, was taken away by the mechanics.”
• “My sister, exhausted after a long day’s work, fell asleep on the sofa.”
In the first example, the noun phrase my car is not the agent of the action,
but is being acted upon; it has been destroyed by another driver, and so it
has a passive role. In the second example, my sister is also not the agent of
the verb exhaust. Instead, exhausted is used to describe how she feels.

Perfect participle phrases

When we want to emphasize that one event happened before another, we
can use the structure having + past participle—this is sometimes known as
the perfect participle. Perfect participle phrases, like the present
participle, designate that the noun being modified is the agent of the
participle’s action. For example:
• “Having seen the movie before, I wouldn’t want to see it again.”

926
• “Having done so much exercise this morning, we should eat a big
lunch.”
• “She was exhausted, having stayed up all night.”

Passive perfect participle

phrases
If we want to describe a noun that was passively acted upon in an event that
happened before another one, we can use what is known as the passive
perfect participle (sometimes called the perfect passive participle),
which is structured as having + been + past participle. For example:
• “Having been dismissed from class early, Thomas decided to explore
the river by his house.”
• “The turkey, having been burnt to a crisp, was thrown in the garbage.”
• “The book is ancient, having been written nearly 3,000 years ago.”
This is similar to how past participle phrases are used, but the emphasis is
placed on the first action happening further in the past. And whereas past
participle phrases can be used to describe a noun or pronoun, passive perfect
participle phrases stress the action being done to the noun—they cannot be
used to create simple descriptions. For instance:
✔ “My sister, exhausted after a long day’s work, fell asleep on the sofa.”
(correct)
✖ “My sister, having been exhausted after a long day’s work, fell
asleep on the sofa.” (incorrect)

Sentence Placement
Where a participle phrase appears in a sentence changes the way we
punctuate it, as does its importance to the meaning of the sentence as a
whole.

Initial position
When a participle phrase occurs in the initial position, it is usually separated
from the rest of the sentence by a comma. For example:
• “Running to the car, the boy welcomed his father home after three

927
months away.”
• “Singing in the shower, I was oblivious to the doorbell ringing.”
• “Scared, my sister slept with the light on.”

Middle position
When the phrase occurs in the middle position, and is not essential to the
meaning of the sentence, it should be set apart from the rest of the sentence
by two commas. For example:
• “My sister, exhausted, has fallen asleep on the sofa.”
• “James, hiding under the bed, was completely silent.”
• “The turkey, having been burnt to a crisp, was thrown in the garbage.”
If we took the participle phrases out, each of the examples above would still
mean the same thing, just with less descriptive detail.
However, if a participle phrase occurs in the middle position and is essential
to the meaning of the sentence, it should not be set apart by commas. For
example:
• “The students finished with their work may have a break.”
• “Jackets left behind will be donated.”
• “Participants breaking the rules will be removed from the competition.”
If we took the participle phrases out of these examples, we would be left with
completely different meanings, as each phrase describes an essential aspect
about the noun to set it apart from others. To make it clear that this
description is integral to the sentence’s meaning, we do not use commas to
set it apart.

Final position
If the participle phrase occurs in the final position immediately after the
noun that it modifies, it doesn’t need a comma. For example:
• “We looked for hours and finally found James hiding under the bed.”
• “The cat had no interest in the poor dog wagging its tail.”
• “I was in such a hurry I didn’t notice my jacket left on the table.”
However, when it occurs in final position but not immediately after the
noun that it modifies, it does need a comma. For example:

928
• “It was obvious he really enjoyed the meal, having helped himself to
more dessert.”
• “My sister cried as she packed up her belongings, saddened at the idea
of moving out of her childhood home.”
• “Most of the puzzle pieces have disappeared, misplaced after so many
years.”

Common mistakes
When we use participle phrases as adjectives, it’s important that the noun
modified is clearly stated and that the phrase appears as close to it as
possible. Otherwise, we run the risk of errors known as misplaced
modifiers and dangling modifiers.

Misplaced modifiers
A misplaced modifier can occur when there is more than one noun in the
sentence. If we don’t place the participle phrase close enough to the noun
that it modifies, it may seem that it modifies another noun. For example:
• “Terrified after watching a scary movie, my father had to comfort my
little sister.”
In the above sentence, the participle phrase terrified after watching a scary
movie is supposed to modify my little sister. However, since my father
appears closer to the participial phrase, it seems it is the father who is
terrified. The sentence should be rewritten to correct the misplaced modifier.
For example:
• “My father had to comfort my sister, terrified after watching a scary
movie.”
or;
• “Terrified after watching a scary movie, my sister had to be
comforted by my father.”
or;
• “My sister, terrified after watching a scary movie, had to be comforted
by my father.”

Dangling modifiers
929
A dangling modifier occurs when we don’t clearly state the noun that is
supposed to be modified by the participle. For example:
• “Walking down the road, the birds were singing.”
Because the sentence does not state who was walking down the road, is
seems that it was the birds, which is probably not the intended meaning. The
sentence needs to include another noun or pronoun being described by the
phrase to correct the dangling modifier. For example:
• “Walking down the road, I (or she, he, Mary, the couple, etc.) heard the
birds singing.”

Quiz
(answers start on page 610)

1. Participle phrases have the function of __________ in a sentence.

a) verbs
b) adjectives
c) adverbs
d) nouns

2. Where can a participle phrase appear in a sentence?

a) At the beginning
b) In the middle
c) At the end
d) A & B
e) B & C
f) All of the above

3. Which of the following sentences is punctuated correctly?

a) “Anthony, tired of failing his exams, started studying every night after
school.”
b) “Anthony tired of failing his exams started studying every night after
school.”
c) “Anthony, tired of failing his exams started studying every night after
school.”
d) “Anthony tired of failing his exams, started studying every night after
school.”

930
4. Identify what kind of participle phrase is used in the following sentence:
“Having worked all her life, Susanne was ready to enjoy her retirement.”
a) Present participle phrase
b) Past participle phrase
c) Perfect participle phrase
d) Passive perfect participle phrase

5. When should a participle phrase appearing in the middle of a sentence be

set apart by commas?
a) When it identifies a noun as an active agent
b) When it is essential to the meaning of the sentence
c) When it is not essential to the meaning of the sentence
d) Always
e) Never

6. What kind of participle phrase indicates a noun that is acted upon (not
the agent of the participle’s action)?
a) Present participle phrase
b) Past participle phrase
c) Perfect participle phrase
d) Passive perfect participle phrase
e) A & C
f) B & D

931
Absolute Phrases
Definition
An absolute phrase (sometimes known as an absolute construction) is
a grammatically independent group of words that serves to modify or add
information to an entire sentence.
An absolute phrase is usually made up of a noun or pronoun and a
participle, along with any modifying information. Because of their unique
construction, absolute phrases are more commonly found in descriptive
writing, such as prose, than in speech or even in everyday writing.

Using absolute phrases

We generally use absolute phrases at the beginning of a sentence to
introduce additional information, or at the end of a sentence to provide a
final comment on the sentence as a whole.
Because absolute phrases are considered parenthetical (meaning they are
not an integral part of the sentence), we always set them apart by commas
or dashes.
For example:
• “The students having left early, I decided to catch up on some grading.”
• “The test finished, Jason heaved a sigh of relief.”
• “I hope to get into Harvard next year—God willing.”
• “She walked out the door, her head turning for a last look at home.”
It is also possible to use an absolute phrase in the middle of a sentence to
highlight or put extra emphasis on the extra information. For instance:
• “The teacher, her students having left early, decided to catch up on
some grading.”
• “I hope—God willing—to get into Harvard next year.”

Omitting the participle

When a participle of the verb be (being or having been) is part of an
absolute phrase, it is very common to omit it altogether. For instance:

932
• “All things being equal, I’d rather finish this next week.”
• “All things equal, I’d rather finish this next week.”
• “I started getting nervous, having been alone for so long.”
• “I started getting nervous, alone for so long.”

However, the participle of be should not be omitted when doing so might

lead to a confusing construction. For instance:

✔ “That being the case, we should resolve the issue quickly.” (correct)
✖ “That the case, we should resolve the issue quickly.” (incorrect)

Quiz
(answers start on page 610)

1. Which of the following is usually found in an absolute phrase?

a) A gerund
b) An infinitive
c) A participle
d) A finite verb

2. Where is an absolute phrase usually located in a sentence?

a) At the beginning
b) In the middle
c) At the end
d) A & B
e) A & C
f) All of the above

3. Which of the following is not used to separate an absolute phrase from the
rest of the sentence?
a) A semicolon
b) A comma
c) A dash
d) Parentheses

4. When can a participle be omitted?

a) When the participle is of an auxiliary verb

933
Purdue Online Writing Lab
COLLEGE OF LIBERAL ARTS

General Writing / Mechanics / Gerunds, Participles, And Infinitives

A participle is a verbal that is used as an adjective
and most often ends in -ing or -ed. The term
verbal indicates that a participle, like the other two
kinds of verbals, is based on a verb and therefore
expresses action or a state of being. However,
since they function as adjectives, participles
modify nouns or pronouns. There are two types of
participles: present participles and past participles.
Present participles end in -ing. Past participles
end in -ed, -en, -d, -t, -n, or -ne as in the words
asked, eaten, saved, dealt, seen, and gone.
The crying baby had a wet diaper.
Shaken, he walked away from the wrecked car.
The burning log fell off the fire.
Smiling, she hugged the panting dog.

A participial phrase is a group of words consisting

of a participle and the modifier(s) and/or
(pro)noun(s) or noun phrase(s) that function as
the direct object(s), indirect object(s), or
complement(s) of the action or state expressed in
the participle, such as:
 Removing his coat, Jack rushed to the river.

The participial phrase functions as an

adjective modifying Jack.
Removing (participle)
his coat (direct object of action expressed in
participle)

Delores noticed her cousin walking along

the shoreline.

The participial phrase functions as an

adjective modifying cousin.
walking (participle)
along the shoreline (prepositional phrase as
adverb)

Children interested in music early develop

strong intellectual skills.

The participial phrase functions as an

adjective modifying children.
interested (in) (participle)
music (direct object of action expressed in
participle)
early (adverb)
 Having been a gymnast, Lynn knew the
importance of exercise.

The participial phrase functions as an

adjective modifying Lynn.
Having been (participle)
a gymnast (subject complement for Lynn, via
state of being expressed in participle)
Placement: In order to prevent confusion, a
participial phrase must be placed as close to the
noun it modifies as possible, and the noun must
be clearly stated.
Carrying a heavy pile of books, his foot caught
on a step. *
Carrying a heavy pile of books, he caught his
foot on a step.

In the first sentence, there is no clear indication of

who or what is performing the action expressed in
the participle carrying. Certainly, foot can't be
logically understood to function in this way. This
situation is an example of a dangling modifier
error, since the modifier (the participial phrase) is
not modifying any specific noun in the sentence
and is thus left "dangling." Since a person must be
doing the carrying for the sentence to make
sense, a noun or pronoun that refers to a person
must be in the place immediately after the
participial phrase, as in the second sentence.
Punctuation: When a participial phrase begins a
sentence, a comma should be placed after the
phrase.
Arriving at the store, I found that it was closed.
Washing and polishing the car, Frank
developed sore muscles.

If the participle or participial phrase comes in the

middle of a sentence, it should be set off with
commas only if the information is not essential to
the meaning of the sentence.
Sid, watching an old movie, drifted in and out of
sleep.
The church, destroyed by a fire, was never
rebuilt.

Note that if the participial phrase is essential to the

meaning of the sentence, no commas should be
used:
 The student earning the highest grade point
average will receive a special award.
The guy wearing the chicken costume is my
cousin.

If a participial phrase comes at the end of a

sentence, a comma usually precedes the phrase if
it modifies an earlier word in the sentence but not
if the phrase directly follows the word it modifies.
The local residents often saw Ken wandering
through the streets.
(The phrase modifies Ken, not residents.)
Tom nervously watched the woman, alarmed by
her silence.
(The phrase modifies Tom, not woman.)

1. A participle is a verbal ending in -ing (present)

or -ed, -en, -d, -t, -n, or -ne (past) that functions
as an adjective, modifying a noun or pronoun.
2. A participial phrase consists of a participle plus
modifier(s), object(s), and/or complement(s).
3. Participles and participial phrases must be
placed as close to the nouns or pronouns they
modify as possible, and those nouns or
 pronouns must be clearly stated.
4. A participial phrase is set off with commas when
it:
a) comes at the beginning of a sentence
b) interrupts a sentence as a nonessential
element
c) comes at the end of a sentence and is
separated from the word it modifies.
Nominative
Absolute

Nominative Absolute :

A substantive, with the participle

belonging to it, is often used to
make a peculiar form of
adverbial modifying phrase
such as….

1. The wind failing, we lowered

the sail.

Here the wind failing is equivalent

to an adverbial phrase (on the
failure of the wind) or an
adverbial clause (when the wind
failed). It defines the time of the
action.

{The wind failing, | On the failure

of the wind, | When the wind
failed,} we lowered the sail.
A substantive, with a participle,
may express the cause, time or
circumstances of an action.

This is called the absolute

construction .

The substantive is in the

nominative case and is called a
nominative absolute .

2. My knife slipping, I cut myself

severely. [The phrase my knife
slipping is equivalent to because
my knife slipped: it expresses
cause.]

3. Two days having elapsed, we

again set forward. [The phrase in
italics is equivalent to when two
days had elapsed: it expresses
time.]

4. Evenings he read aloud, his

wife sewing by his side. [The
phrase expresses one of the
circumstances that attended the
reading.]

5. This done, proceed to business.

[The phrase this done is
equivalent to the clause since (or
when) this is done, and indicates
cause or time.]

Note : This construction is called

absolute (that is…..free or
loosened) because the
substantive is not in any one of
the constructions (subject, object,
apposition, etc.) which ordinarily
attach nouns grammatically to
other words in the sentence.
Nevertheless, the whole phrase,
though standing apart from the
rest of the sentence, is in
meaning an adverbial modifier of
some verb.

The participle being is sometimes

omitted in the absolute
construction.

1. Allen once mayor, my chance of being/having been can only be

advancement would be ruined. omitted when omission won't
[That is: Allen once being mayor.] cloud the meaning.

2. Peter stood before me, his

hands in his pockets.

3. His clothing in shreds, he

presented a sorry sight.
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welkins2139Member
12/1/074:38 PM
Last edited by welkins2139 12/1/074:39 PM
1) An absolute construction, however, always has a noun
or noun phrase.

For exmaple, the horsemen raced down the hill toward the
settlers, their guns at the ready.

2)Absolutes often have a non-finite form of a verb"”for

example, a present or past participle. When there is a
present or past participle, you can often add a "with," to
turn the phrase into a prepositional phrase that acts as an
adverbial. Google examples ("with" added, in brackets)

For exmaple , "”[With] Our hopes dashed, we continued

south. Our track soon converged with a major piste
just south of an airstrip. With the increased use, came
horrendous ...
enableafrica.net/features/ -

"”He stopped, [with] his hands shaking uncontrollably.

I then imagined my own wife, son and young daughters
dying that way and shuddered. ...

3)Often, to make an absolute phrase into a full clause, all

you have to do is provide some form of the verb "be,"
plus a connector. For example (non-Google),

For example, "”a. Her lawn totally brown from the

drought (absolute), she decided to convert it into a rock
garden

"”b. Her lawn was totally brown from the drought (full
clause), so she decided to make it into a rock garden
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Rachel, ModeratorMember
12/2/0711:23 AM
Welkins, those are good comments on the absolute. Thank
you. Where are they from?

In answer to Hamid's question about the definition of

"absolute construction" in grammar, here is a good one
from The American Heritage Book of English Usage*:
Absolute constructions consist of a noun and some kind
of modifier, the most common being a participle. Because
they often come at the beginning of a sentence, they are
easily confused with dangling participles. But an absolute
construction modifies the rest of the sentence, not the
subject of the sentence (as a participial phrase does). You
can use absolute constructions to compress two sentences
into one and to vary sentence structure as a means of
holding a reader's interest. Here are some examples:

No other business arising, the meeting was adjourned.

The paint now dry, we brought the furniture out on the
deck.

The truck finally loaded, they said goodbye to their

neighbors and drove off.
The horse loped across the yard, her foal trailing behind
her.

Constructions like these are used more often in writing

than in speaking, where it is more common to use a full
clause: When the paint was dry, we brought the furniture
out on the deck.

There are, however, many fixed absolute constructions

that occur frequently in speech:
The picnic is scheduled for Saturday, weather permitting.
Barring bad weather, we plan to go to the beach
tomorrow.
All things considered, it's not a bad idea.
_______

Hamid asked for examples of different types of absolute

constructions. Here are some from Marcella Frank**:

She says:

An absolute construction contains a ˜subject' that is

unchanged from the form it has in a full sentence. (For
this reason, it is sometimes called a nominative absolute.)
In the predicate, the finite verb is changed to a participle,
or, if the verb is be, it may be omitted entirely....

"¢ Absolute construction with participle:

The elevator being out of order, everyone had to walk.

The rain having already begun, they decided to call off

the concert in the park.

"¢ Absolute construction without participle: Being is

implied before the following complements used as
predicates of absolute constructions:

A predicate noun – His book now a best seller, he felt

pleased with the world.

A predicate adjective – His book now famous, he felt

pleased with the world.

An adverb – His long work finally over, he felt pleased

with the world.

A prepositional phrase – His book now on sale at all

bookstores, he felt pleased with the world.

"¢ Absolute constructions with infinitives:

Infinitives may also function as the verbs in absolute

constructions. In many cases, these infinitives might be
viewed as the second part of the idiom be to, used in the
sense of part of a future plan, arrangement, or
requirement.

They decided to row all night, all the men to take turns.
(The absolute construction is the equivalent of the
sentence "All the men were to take turns.")
All his money was left to his children, each to receive an
equal share.

The infinitives in such absolute constructions may

alternating with –ing participles if there is no desire to
stress future action: They decided to row all night, all the
men taking turns.

"¢ Absolute constructions introduced by with:

The word with (or its negative without) may initiate an

absolute construction, making the construction technically
a prepositional phrase and thereby relating it
grammatically to the rest of the sentence. (Note from
Rachel: Welkins describes this in his posting above. These
sentences can also be used without "with" or "without," as
absolutes in more formal language.)

Such with absolutes generally have the same kinds of

predicates as absolutes without with.

The ocean looks very beautiful with the moonlight

glimmering on its surface.

With half the work still unfinished, she became frantic

about the lack of time.

These with absolutes sometimes differ from simple

prepositional phrases merely by the position of the
participle.

With absolute construction: with arms outstretched, with a

sneer barely suppressed

With prepositional phrase: with outstretched arms, with a

barely suppressed sneer

(Note from Rachel: In the absolute constructions, "with"

can be omitted; in the prepositional constructions, "with"
cannot be omitted.)
_______

The examples above show different types of absolute

constructions. Frank describes "absolute" this way:

"The term absolute refers to a free grammatical element

within a sentence." She states:

"The absolute construction has a semantic or logical

connection with the rest of the sentence, but, except when
it is introduced by with it has no grammatical link with
the sentence. It may be interpreted as a modifier of the
entire sentence."

Rachel
_______
*The American Heritage Book of English Usage.
Houghton Mifflin Company 1996
**Modern English, Second Edition, by Marcella Frank.
Regents/Prentice Hall 1993
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hamidMember
12/2/0711:43 AM
Hi Welkins and Rachel
Thank you so much for fruitful information on absolute
costruction.It was so helpful.
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izzylovesyouallMember
12/27/0811:11 AM
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 NOMINATIVE ABSOLUTE
WHAT IS A NOMINATIVE ABSOLUTE?

A Nominative Absolute (also known as Absolute Construction , or Absolute Phrase ), is a special phrase that consists of a noun or pronoun followed and
modified by some kind of modifier, usually a participle or a participial phrase.

We can use absolute constructions to compress two sentences into one and to vary sentence structure as a means of holding a reader’s interest.

Absolute Construction Examples:

 Our reservations having been made, we started on our vacation in spite of the predicted storm.
 The book being short , I read it in two hours.
 The horse loped across the yard, her foal trailing behind her.

 No other matter arising, the meeting was adjourned.

 The paint now dry, we brought the furniture out on the deck.
 Her eyes rolling upwards, the lady made no effort to hide her disgust.

Characteristically, the absolute construction is a phrase because it cannot stand alone as a sentence.

It is absolute because it modifies no single word in the main sentence; however, it has a close “thought” relationship to the entire main sentence. In other words, it
modifies the rest of the sentence, not the subject of the sentence as opposed to a participial phrase.

Perhaps at this point it will suffice to remind us a few knowledge of the participle: A participle is a verb form ending in –ing, that may function as a verb or as
an adjective or noun.

1 The present participle always ends in –ing, such as, speaking, cooking, writing;
2 The past participle has various endings, according to the type of verb: spoken, cooked, written;
3The perfect participle consists of having or having been followed by the past participle: having spoken, having
been cooked, having written;
4 Writing tends to “come alive” when participles, verb forms which show action, are used (in addition the
sentence verb) in a modifying function. They help the reader to see the “picture” the writer is creating or
describing.

When the nominative absolute or absolute construction (as it's also known) is placed at the beginning of the sentence, it must be carefully distinguished from a
noun used the as the subject of the verb.

For example, in the sentence:

“The soldiers needing backup, helicopters soon arrived.”

soldiers is in the nominative absolute construction with the participle needing, and helicopters is the subject
of the verb arrived.

On the other hand, in:

“The soldiers, needing backup, radioed command for helicopters.”

soldiers is not in a nominative absolute construction: it is the subject of the sentence (subject of the verb
radioed ).
A nominative absolute construction would usually denote time or cause, observe carefully the following expressions:

Absolute Construction Meaning/Relationship

Her work for the day over, she went to bed. Expresses time, in the sense of “after”— after her work for the day was over …

The meeting being over, the attendants began to leave. Expresses time

The cadets of the Academy marched past, the band playing “auld lang syne.” expressing time, in the sense of ‘while’ — while the band was playing …

Half the staff being on leave, the bank manager was himself at the counter cashing cheques.

These two sentences both express cause

The debtors having defaulted on their loan, the banks seized their assets.

In certain fixed phrases, the absolute construction expresses a conditional meaning: weather permitting (if the weather permits); God willing; all things being
equal; everything considered.

Important Hint! 

Note that the word “absolute”, as a grammatical concept, means “free” or “unconstrained.” The noun in a
nominative absolute construction is “free” from the traditional uses of a noun in a sentence, such as subjects
or objects.

Keep on learning:

 Verb phrase
 Noun phrase
 Gerundial phrase